History

By 1633, Ottoman coffeehouses numbered around 600. That year, Sultan Murad IV attempted to ban them for their role in stirring unrest, but the ban failed and coffee culture spread westwards. The London Stock Exchange (1680) and Lloyd’s of London (1688) are among the many notable intuitions that began as coffeehouses.

Fascinating how coffeehouses served not just as social hubs but also as vital centers for economic and political discourse. It’s incredible to think how a simple beverage influenced the development of major institutions!