Al-Saraya Café, a place that gathers the people of Raqqa

Most people of Raqqa go to Al-Saraya cafe every evening to spend time and talk until late times at night, as they consider it a cultural club.

“North Press,” reporters noticed an active movement of “Al-Saraya” cafe guests, near the famous Raqqa clock, in the city center.

Khalil al-Jaber opened the café, after the “Islamic State” was expelled from the city, by Syrian Democratic Forces, where normal life began to take its course.

During the control of the “Islamic State organization”, Raqqa lost many of its features, as a result of the intervention of the organization’s militants in the most accurate details of daily life, and preventing people from practicing their customs.

Furthermore, the war’s effect is still visible on the walls of most buildings in the city, and the destruction is intensively widespread everywhere.

The city of Raqqa was “historically well known for its cafes and social movement,” said Khalil Al Jaber, the owner of the new coffee shop.

Al-Jaber, an artist from the city of Raqqa and one  of (al- ‘Afadila) tribe people, which is considered one of the big tribes of Raqqa, saying that he did not name Al- Saraya on the cafe “in vain,” but rather “after a new birth” of Raqqa, as he described.

The café opened by the artist is considered the first, after the relative stability of the city.

 

Raqqa, the old Syrian city, opened “Al-Saraya” cafe at the beginning of the 20th century. “It was one of the oldest cafés in Raqqa and it was named upon being located next to Dar Al-Saraya then. It was a place to have rest, for everyone who comes to Dar Al-Saraya for legal and administrative matters.” The owner of the cafe told North press’s reporter about the old café.

Khalil al-Jaber noted that “dozens of prominent figures in the city and the countryside, were visiting the cafe in the past, as now, their grandchildren visit the new café.”