A closer look

Your morning latte used to come with a high risk of decapitation. In the 17th-century Ottoman Empire, coffeehouses became popular hubs for political dissent and dangerous anti-government gossip. Paranoid about rebellion, Sultan Murad IV didn't just outlaw coffee; he took absolute delight in patrolling the streets of his capital in disguise. If he caught you sipping a dark roast, he would literally reveal his royal identity and execute you with a broadsword right then and there.