Commodities of Pleasure: Tobacco and Coffee in Athens

 

 

Coffee and tobacco were introduced in the Ottoman Empire from the mid-16th century. Its popularisation caused marked social changes and accelerated cultural transformations, especially in urban settings.

 

In archaeological excavations we find objects related to the practices of coffee drinking and smoking. These artefacts can inform us about social dimensions of these practices in a way that written sources can not.

 

This study focusses on the consumption of tobacco and coffee in Athens in the Ottoman period and details finds made on the Athenian Agora.