Meyhane

A meyhane (from Persian: میخانه) is a traditional restaurant or bar in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and the Balkans. It serves alcoholic beverages like wine, rakı, vodka, beer with meze and traditional foods. "Meyhane" is composed of two Persian words: mey (wine) and khāneh (house). The word entered the Serbian and Bulgarian languages as mehana (механа, plural механе, in Bulgarian механи) and in Macedonian as meana (меана, plural меани). In Bosnian language the word "mejhana" is used. A meyhane used to serve mainly wine alongside meze until the late 19th century when rakia established itself as the quasi-official national drink of Bulgaria. In Serbia, the word mehana is considered archaic, while in Bulgaria it refers to a restaurant with traditional food, decoration and music.

The history of the meyhane starts in the Byzantine Empire. Meyhane culture continues in seaside cities where merchants stop and spend their time and money on drinking. During the period of the Ottoman Empire, the number of meyhane increased considerably.

Some sultans prohibited alcohol at various times but it didn't affect the number of meyhane. While the Muslim population usually complied with the religious rules, no one interfered in the conventions of the minority population. A major part of the minority population lived in Galata and, as a result, there were many meyhane in that district. But there were also many Muslim clients who went there secretly.

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