We challenge contemporary perceptions of Yemen as a "backwater" by revealing the pivotal role of its port city, Mocha, in the making of our modern world. Historian Nancy Um delves into the fascinating history of coffee, from its origins in 15th-century Yemen to its global spread and the economic transformations it spurred. She explores the rich maritime trad ... Show More
Yesterday
The Gulf’s Forgotten Trade Routes to India & Africa | Fahad Bishara, “Monsoon Voyagers”
Pre-oil Gulf history didn't vanish when oil was discovered. It survived in places few people thought to look. Fahad Bishara, associate professor at the University of Virginia and the Doha Institute, discusses his books A Sea of Debt and Monsoon Voyages. He explains how 19th-centu ... Show More
51m 50s
Nov 2
How Locust Swarms Reshaped Empire & Human Movement | Prof. Samuel Dolbee
Ottoman agricultural officials once warned that local locust invasions posed a greater threat to the empire than the Allied powers during World War I. Dr. Samuel Dolbee, Assistant Professor of History at Vanderbilt University, talks about his book Locusts of Power: Borders, Empir ... Show More
59m 46s
Oct 26
Ottoman Environmental History, Sultan Selim's Ambition, & NYC's First "Muslim" | Prof. Alan Mikhail
We know about Islam in America, but what about America in Islam? Yale historian Alan Mikhail unpacks Sultan Selim I, the thuggish sultan who wrote bad poetry yet conquered the Arab world in 1516–17 and, Mikhail argues, changed the course of world history. From the water buffalo t ... Show More
52m 35s
Sep 2021
How to build a luxury coffee brand from the Port of Mokha in Yemen with Mokhtar Alkhanshali
Today’s episode is with Mokhtar, the founder of Port of Mokha, a luxury coffee brand. Mokhtar comes from an ancient lineage of farmers in Yemen that traces back to when the world’s first coffee was cultivated in his home province of Ibb over five centuries ago. In 2013, Mokhtar b ... Show More
1s
Sep 2020
More Than A Buzz
In our day-to-day lives, it's a drink. But for some people, it is not as simple as that. It's a Sufi's spiritual companion, an Emirati's keeper of tradition, and a Yemeni's connection to his homeland. Today, we dive into three stories about coffee, exploring the tradition, cultur ... Show More
41m 28s