With specialist milks, flavoured syrups and intricate brewing techniques, the coffee house as an international brand was introduced with the opening of the world’s first Starbucks in Seattle on March 30, 1971.
But the rich history of coffee shop culture stretches back many centuries before that – to both Europe and the Middle East.
One of the earliest was opened in Vienna in 1685, with the story that the coffee beans were discovered left behind when the Turks retreated after the failed siege of the city two years earlier. It was here that milk was first added.
In fact travellers to Asia were already talking of a drink “black in colour and made by infusing the powdered berry of a plant that flourished in Arabia” and could be consumed “all day long and far into the night, with no apparent desire for sleep but with mind and body continuously alert”.
By the 17th century, coffee drinking was already established across the Ottoman Empire, reaching Istanbul as early as the 15th century, where customer could enjoy conversation and play games like backgammon and chess along with their daily brew.
Coffee had reached Istanbul through Persia and other cities in the region like Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo, introduced by merchants from those cities.
The empire brews black
The Syrian capital was probably the first to introduce coffee drinking, with Damascus brought under the Ottoman Empire by the early 16th century.
Ottoman rule also extended into Arabia, down the Red Sea to the holy cities of Madinah and Makkah by 1517.
Citizens of what is now Saudi Arabia were already familiar with the coffee bean, originally grown to be chewed as a stimulant in Ethiopia and probably first brewed as a beverage in Yemen sometime in the 1400s.
Makkah is where we find the world’s first coffee houses, places for trading beans and socialising and where the word “coffee” evolved from the Arabic qahwah.
They may have existed as early as the 13th century, known as qahveh kaneh, or home of coffee, and were probably used to gather and study religious text. Later they became places to socialise, with music and games, and to discuss politics.
It was this that led to its banning in 1511 by the governor of Makkah, Khair Bey, who feared drinkers would be overstimulated and rise up against his rule. The ban was eventually lifted in 1523 on the orders of Sultan Selim I in Cairo, who declared coffee sacred. Khair Bey was then executed.
Fast forward nearly 500 years to when Starbucks struck a licensing deal to enter the Middle East. In 2000, the Alshaya Group opened the first Starbucks in Saudi Arabia at Khobar’s Rashid Mall, with over 400 branches now operating in the kingdom.
The world’s most famous coffee brand is now firmly entrenched in the original home of the coffee shop.
A taste of independence
Meanwhile, America's thirst for coffee is ingrained in the national conscience.
Coffee had been sipped in the US since the revolution, in part because it was seen an act of defiance against taxes imposed on tea by Britain in 1773.
Boston coffee house the Green Dragon became known as the “headquarters of the revolution” after the Sons of Liberty, a clandestine group dedicated to end of English tyranny, began meeting there.
Its popularity was reinforced during the American Civil War when Union troops were issued with 36lbs, or 16.3kg, of coffee beans a year, with generals believing it was both a comfort and stimulant in combat. Historians researching soldiers’ letters home found they mentioned coffee more than president Abraham Lincoln, slavery or even the war itself.
Most of the coffee in the US was grown on the islands of the Caribbean. The first seedlings were imported to Martinique in 1720, on French plantations that used African slaves for labour. By the end of the 18th century the Caribbean supplied almost half of the world’s coffee.
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
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British Grand Prix free practice times in the third and final session at Silverstone on Saturday (top five):
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:28.063 (18 laps)
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:28.095 (14)
3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:28.137 (20)
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:28.732 (15)
5. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:29.480 (14)
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
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FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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