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The Role of Coffeehouses in the Ottoman Empire
Introduction
Interpersonal interaction is a complex subject of social sciences that concerns communication between two or more people. Since the rise of the earliest civilizations, people have found mediums for communication as certain subjects united people together. In the Ottoman Empire, coffee and smoking were valued greatly as instruments for socialization, extending the role of coffeehouses as public spaces for science and entertainment (Collaco, 2011). In turn, coffeehouses became cultural and social centers attracting customers of various backgrounds and social statuses (Collaco, 2011). With time, the unique phenomenon of Istanbul coffeehouses spread globally. Ultimately, the current summary analyzes two articles and a lecture about the coffeehouse culture in the Ottoman Empire, demonstrating the cultural and social significance of the coffeehouses.
Coffee and Smoking as Social Instruments
First, it is essential to analyze the contributing factors to the Turkish coffeehouse culture, namely, coffee and smoking. Coffee was first introduced in the Ottoman Empire by people from Ethiopia and Yemen in the early 16th century (Grehan, 2006). It quickly took control of the region as the most popular substance establishing a social bridge between people. Tobacco, which appeared almost two centuries later in the Ottoman Empire, had a similar furor in popularity as an instrument of socialization (Grehan, 2006). Tobacco survived a wave of regulations and prohibitions due to the health risks; however, it was difficult for the governments to control the peoples urge to smoke (Grehan, 2006). Ultimately, coffee and tobacco became essential elements of the Turkish coffeehouse culture.
Turkish Coffeehouse Culture
Coffeehouses were a relatively new social attraction site, which first appeared in Istanbul during the early modernity period. According to Dr. Cemal Kafadar, the coffeehouses became prominent in the middle of the 16th century and continually grew the scope of influence (Turkish Culture Foundation, 2019). By the beginning of the 17th century, there were more than six hundred coffeehouses in Istanbul, demonstrating the phenomenal increase in the popularity of coffee shops (Turkish Culture Foundation, 2019). Despite the various backgrounds of customers, the coffeehouse culture in Istanbul was gradually becoming a purely Islamic subculture (Collaco, 2011, p. 63). As a result, the Turkish coffeehouse culture became a social phenomenon in the Ottoman Empire.
Impact of Coffeehouses on Culture
At present, many experts recognize the rise of coffeehouse popularity as a significant cultural phenomenon that occurred in the Ottoman Empire. Collaco (2011) emphasizes the initial focus on spirituality as the main element that united people in coffeehouses. Consequently, intellectuality took its place, providing people from various backgrounds with a public space for sophisticated discussions and entertainment (Collaco, 2011). Moreover, Dr. Cemal Kafadar highlights the impact of coffeehouses on early business, describing them as instances of entrepreneurial creativity (Turkish Culture Foundation, 2019, min. 24:50). Lastly, the popularity of coffeehouses was noticed by the early European entrepreneurs, who opened the first coffeehouse in Europe in 1651 (Turkish Culture Foundation, 2019). Ultimately, coffeehouses became a relevant cultural phenomenon not only in the Ottoman empire but also in the whole world.
Conclusion
The Turkish coffeehouse culture was an essential cultural element and a significant instrument of socialization in the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries. Spirituality and intellectuality were the primary elements of the coffeehouses, which attracted people from various backgrounds and of distinctive social statuses. Coffee shops united people and served as places of entertainment, becoming effective instruments of socialization. Summing up, the Turkish coffeehouse culture was an essential element of culture in the Ottoman Empire.
References
Collaco, G. (2011). The Ottoman coffeehouse: All the charms and dangers of commonality in the 16th-17th century. The MESSA Journal, 1(1), 67-71.
Grehan, J. (2006). Smoking and early modern sociability: The great tobacco debate in the Ottoman Middle East (seventeenth to eighteenth centuries). The American Historical Review, 111(5), 1352-1377.
Turkish Culture Foundation. (2019). Turkish coffeehouse culture. [Video file].
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