The Opposition to Coffee
It’s worth noting that coffee was not always accepted in societies around the world; in fact, it was actually banned on a few occasions. The first of these bans were enforced in 1511 when conservative, orthodox imams in Mecca forbade the consumption of coffee due to its stimulating effects. However, in 1524, this ban was overturned by the Ottoman Turkish Sultan.
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In Cairo in 1532, a similar ban was enforced, resulting in coffee houses and warehouses containing coffee beans being closed; however, this was overturned by officials in the city within a year. Then, during the 17th century, it was banned in Ethiopia by the Orthodox Church; this prohibition lasted until the second half of the 19th century when its consumption began to increase rapidly.