Coffee, Tobacco and Commerce: A Late Ottoman–Early British Mandate Roadside Coffeehouse at Horses’ Beach, ‘Akko (Acre)

The limited remains of a structure exposed in an excavation carried out just outside ‘Akko’s Land Gate probably formed part of a late Ottoman–early British Mandate roadside coffeehouse for travellers and merchants passing through the city. The associated finds included local and regional glazed pottery, European porcelain bowls and coffee cups, tobacco pipes and nargile heads, and glass items, reflecting the encounter and interaction of local traditions and international trade networks at the site. Notwithstanding ‘Akko’s decline in the late Ottoman period, the coffeehouse remained a space of social interaction, preserving Ottoman consumption patterns and accommodating new European goods. This study highlights the role of such establishments in facilitating cultural exchange and commerce along the roads and sea routes leading to and from ‘Akko.