In
Ethiopia in 1450, Sheik Gemaleddin,
a holy man of Aden, tried coffee to
combat his seemingly untreatable ailments.
Amazed
at his quick recovery, he encouraged
other dervishes to spread the word
about the wonderful miracle drink.
The world's first coffee shop,
Kiva Han, opened in
Constantinople in 1457. |
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At
that time coffee was brewed in little pots
called "ibriks"
or "gesves" which were
invented in Egypt to cook coffee in hot
sand. Italy was the first European country
to use coffee. Soon thereafter, coffeehouses
were opened everywhere in Europe and England.
Dervishes
throughout Yemen, Aden, Cairo and
Mecca used coffee in all-
night religious ceremonies. It increased
their stamina and concentration
during intense prayer and meditation.
Click HERE
for The Legend of Omar the Dervish. |
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As
Islam spread to Turkey, the Balkan States,
Spain and northern Africa, so did
coffee. In fact, some sources claim that
it became known as "the
drink of Islam."
15th Century Sufis in Yemen valued
coffee's ability to keep them alert during
nighttime worship. From their communal services,
coffee drinking evolved as a group activity,
a trait that carried over to the general
Muslim population who shunned alcohol.
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