The culture of coffee drinking dates back several centuries. Slave traders first brought coffee to Arabia in the 14th century. Initially, coffee was used primarily medicinally for its invigorating effects. In the 15th century, coffee became established as a stimulant in Arabia. Sheikh Gemaleddin first cultivated the coffee plant, using seeds from Abyssinia, in 1454 in what is now Yemen. Even today, the Muslim faith prohibits the consumption of alcohol; instead, many Muslims prefer the highly stimulating effects of coffee. Coffee was also consumed in Mecca and Medina, the holy sites of Islam.

In the second half of the 15th century, the aromatic beverage began its triumphant advance and quickly spread throughout the Arab world. The Arabs were also meticulous about maintaining their coffee monopoly, scalding coffee beans for sale with hot water so that they could no longer be used as seeds. Eventually, in 1510, coffee also conquered the Egyptian city of Cairo. Coffee thus played an increasingly important role in Arabia, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt. The first coffeehouses opened in Damascus and Aleppo as early as 1530.