Mokha

Mokha, also spelled Mocha or Mukha, is a port town on the Red Sea coast of western Yemen. It is part of Taiz Governorate and lies near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Historically, Mokha was one of Yemen’s principal trading ports and a key point for maritime commerce between the Yemeni highlands, the Levant, and Europe.

From the 15th to the 18th centuries, Mokha rose as the chief export harbor for Yemeni coffee, known in global markets as Mocha coffee. Coffee beans grown in the Yemeni highlands were shipped from Mokha to ports around the Indian Ocean and beyond, making the port a cornerstone of the early global coffee trade. The town’s prominence declined in the 19th century as shipping routes shifted and Aden grew as a commercial hub; Mokha retained regional importance as a fishing and trading center.

In the modern era, Mokha has been affected by the Yemeni civil conflict since 2014, with disruption to daily life and humanitarian concerns. The city remains a historic symbol of Yemen’s coffee heritage, with the name Mocha continuing to appear in coffee terminology worldwide.

Etymology and name: The term Mocha for coffee derives from the port of Mokha, while the city’s Arabic name is al-Mukha (المخا).