Coffee has been banned throughout history, which is a little known but fascinating fact. Here are more details on those historic bans:

Coffee ban in Saudi Arabia

“Coffee stimulates critical thinking and revolutionary ideas, and encourages dissatisfaction with the authorities”

The first recorded ban on coffee occurred in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 1511. The local governor, Khair Bey, was concerned about the effects coffee was having on social and political activities. The coffee house (or ‘qahveh khaneh’), as a gathering place, became the center of conversation, debate and intellectual exchange among people. The governor believed that coffee stimulates critical thinking and revolutionary ideas, and that it encourages discontent with the authorities. As a result, he ordered a ban on coffee, cafes and coffee shops in Mecca.

However, the ban did not last long. Religious scholars analyzed the situation and concluded that coffee has no harm to health and society. Within a short time, the ban was lifted, and coffee returned to the daily life of people in Mecca.

The ban on cafes in Constantinople

‘Cafes, where people gathered to drink coffee and smoke tobacco, encourage political rebellion and the spread of anti-authoritarian ideas.’

In the Ottoman Empire, coffee was also the target of prohibition. Sultan Murat IV. (reigned from 1623 to 1640) is known for having introduced strict laws against the consumption of coffee, tobacco and alcohol. He believed that coffeehouses, where people gathered to drink coffee and smoke tobacco, encouraged political rebellion and the spread of anti-authoritarian ideas. The Sultan was even so determined to enforce the ban that he personally walked the streets of Constantinople in disguise to catch violators. Those caught in the act faced severe penalties, including corporal punishment and even death. The ban on coffee in the Ottoman Empire was also short-lived. After Murat’s death, coffee shops reopened, and coffee once again became an indispensable part of Ottoman culture.

The ban on coffee shops in England

“Cafes have become hotspots for the spread of slander, false information and political discontent”

In England, coffee, like beer and tea, became popular in the 17th century. Cafés were gathering places for intellectuals, merchants and political activists to discuss the news and events of the day. This was not to the liking of King Charles II. (Charles II), who banned coffee houses in 1675 because he considered them a threat to his authority. He believed that coffee shops became hotspots for the spread of slander, false information and political dissatisfaction with his regime. By a proclamation from 1675, coffee shops were closed and the consumption of coffee was prohibited. However, the public pressure was so strong that the king soon withdrew his decision. Cafes reopened and coffee continued to play an important role in English social life.

Coffee bans in Prussia and Sweden

“The consumption of coffee should be limited because it threatens the traditional consumption of beer”

The Prussian King Frederick the Great was famous for trying to limit the consumption of coffee because he believed it threatened the traditional consumption of beer. He believed that people should drink more beer, because he considered it a “national drink” that strengthens the community. He issued a proclamation stating that beer was healthier and better for the German people. Although he did not introduce a complete ban, he took measures to reduce the popularity of coffee.

Coffee experiment on two prisoners sentenced to death in Sweden

Swedish King Gustav III. he conducted one of the most bizarre experiments with coffee. He considered coffee dangerous to health and ordered a ban. In order to prove his thesis, he ordered an experiment on two prisoners sentenced to death. One prisoner drank three cups of coffee a day, and the other three cups of tea. Ironically, both prisoners outlived the doctors who supervised them, and Gustav III. was himself killed before the experiment ended. However, the ban on coffee did not last long.

Coffee bans throughout history show how coffee was more than just a beverage – it became a symbol of social interaction and intellectual debate. Coffee was often associated with political changes and social unrest, which is why the authorities tried to control or completely ban its consumption on several occasions. However, coffee has always found a way to return to everyday life, winning the hearts of people around the world.