Islamic Coffeehouse Culture
The rise of coffee importation in the modern age gave birth to a new means of social performance in the Ottoman and Safavid empires. The coffeehouse was a novel social institution, creating a space for men of varying social classes to engage in discourse and be looked at by one another. This new social sphere birthed a culture of performance, indulgence, and opulence – the coffeehouse was a multisensory experience, from the noise of the bustling social atmosphere to the aromas of coffee and hookah to the visuals of coffeehouse-goers dressed to impress. This culture has been captured and preserved in historical architecture of the modern era. The coffeehouses in the Naqsh-I Jahan Square still exist today. Though the common social practices have changed, the physical spaces still serve as social institutions, echoing practices from centuries before. Practical historical objects also lend a glimpse into the coffeehouse culture of the modern era – items like water pipes (huqqa, now commonly spelled hookah) were often used in the consumption of tobacco alongside the consumption of coffee. Some water pipes were intricately decorated, showing a level of care and refinement to the practice. Coffeehouse culture was also commonly represented through art, most notably through the miniature paintings of the Safavid era. These miniatures captured (among other aspects of Safavid life) the aesthetics and environment of the coffeehouse experience, from depictions of singular figures to more complex bustling group scenes. The coffeehouse was a new aspect of community in the modern age, serving as a new method of social performance and consumption.