Social and ethical challenges of coffeehouses in the Qajar era

In every society, according to human necessity and need, centers have been established for rest and leisure. In Iran, too, coffeehouses were built for this purpose from the Safavid era. This place became part of the urban fabric as a public place from then on. The nature of public space requires that people of different occupations and tastes come together in it. Gradually, the relationships between these people became stronger as a result of frequent visits, and they not only influenced each other’s personalities and ways of thinking, but also influenced the course of cultural developments in society. Of course, the presence of desirable people had constructive effects and consequently the presence of undesirable people had adverse effects on the type of behavior and etiquette of the people. Considering that coffeehouses were part of the influential public places in the Qajar era, this paper intends to examine some of the negative functions of coffeehouses by relying on sources and using descriptive-analytical method. Therefore, the main question of the paper is as follows. What negative functions can be attributed to coffeehouses in the Qajar era? The research data shows that coffeehouses were popular and attractive among different social classes in the Qajar era. Therefore, along with their positive functions, they were also a place for various social crimes. Social conflicts, drunkenness, gambling, sodomy and addiction were among the most important abnormalities that occurred in this place. In fact, the presence of undesirable people made coffeehouses a suitable place for all kinds of crimes and behaviors that challenged the moral rules of society.