Three weeks into a fragile cease-fire with the United States, Iranians are seeking to reclaim fragments of normal life. For many eager to connect with one another, cafes have emerged as the focal point of social gatherings in Tehran and many other Iranian cities.
Men and women, young and old, pack the coffee shops that dot the sprawling capital. Friends, families and colleagues crowd at tables and bar stools that spill onto the sidewalks. They gather at all hours of the day and late into the night.
They sip espressos, cappuccinos and Persian tea infused with cardamom. Sometimes they share a piece of cake. These are tough economic times and many people have been laid off. Many say they are running through their savings as they struggle with a collapsing currency and rampant inflation.
But a cup of coffee is still affordable and cafes provide escape, if only for a few fleeting hours, said a dozen Iranians who frequent them. Cafes allow Iranians a place to collectively process the five weeks of war with the United States and Israel and the wreckage in its wake.
“Cafes are the place I feel connected to society,” said Nassim, a 40-year-old writer, in an interview over the telephone from Tehran. “Everyone is trying to get through the day and not think too far ahead,” she added.
Nassim said she goes to cafes in central Tehran at least three times a week to meet with friends. She lives at home with her parents, like many adult Iranians who can’t afford to live on their own, and seeing friends at cafes, she said, gives a sense of independence.
As everyone interviewed for this story, Nassim asked that her surname not be published out of fear of retribution for talking to foreign media.
Nassim said the conversations she is having and overhearing are almost all about the war. “You hear people talking about not having hope, and about struggling financially because they have lost their jobs.”
Iranians don’t know if the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes are over for good or if more are on the horizon. They don’t know whether the cease-fire will lead to a permanent peace. It’s also unclear whether the country’s new hard-line Revolutionary Guard leaders can reach a deal with the United States or whether sanctions and, now, a sea blockade will cause even more economic hardship.
The government has restricted internet access since the start of the war, and for the many Iranians who used to pass the time scrolling through social media, that diversion too has been disrupted.
Mehran, a 37-year-old businessman, said he meets his friends at a cafe every night after dinner with his wife and son. “Going to the cafe every night has become my coping mechanism, it’s the place I can let loose from all the pressures,” Mehran said in a telephone interview.
Options for casual gatherings are limited. There are no bars because alcohol is banned. Restaurants are expensive. And hosting at home has become too pricey as a culture that expects maximum hospitality confronts inflation hovering at 60 percent.
So cafes, with their casual vibe, and low-cost options, have become all the rage. In leafy upscale neighborhoods in northern Tehran, coffee is served amid colorful modern sculptures and art pieces hanging on the walls. In central Tehran, small cafes line the streets with stools and tables on the sidewalks. In downtown, tables are set in the gardens of old historical homes under fruit trees.
Cafe culture’s popularity transcends political, economic and social demographics. Hassan, 28, is a loyal supporter of the Islamic Republic government. He has attended rallies in support of the war, waving flags and chanting slogans. But almost always, before and after the rallies, he and his friends end up in a cafe.
“I go to the cafes all the time, after work you want to meet friends and drink something and chat,” said Hassan in an interview. “Where else are we going to go? Cafes are the most popular place right now.” He said sometimes they play backgammon and chess at cafes while other people play cards.
The tradition of socializing in coffeehouses in Iran dates back to the 16th century, when qhaveh-khaneh or “coffeehouse,” provided a resting place for pilgrims returning from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, or tradesmen traveling the Silk Road. Coffeehouses in ancient cities, like Isfahan, Tabriz and Shiraz, also served as intellectual and social gathering places for mostly men. Often a ‘naghl,’ or storyteller, recited fables from the Shahnameh, the Book of Kings, with dramatic theatrical performances to entertain audiences sipping rich dark coffee.
These days, the storytellers are the people themselves, reciting their woes, hopes and anxieties to one another.
“Cling to life in the most beautiful way possible,” wrote Susan Chelcheragh in a social media post with a video of herself and friends singing in a courtyard cafe in Tehran this week. “I love being here, with all its flaws and virtues.” Ms. Chelcheragh, 35, lives in Tehran and is a homemaker, she said in a text message, adding, “because of high prices, family gatherings are limited to small numbers, over tea at a cafe.”
Farnaz Fassihi is the United Nations bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of the organization. She also covers Iran and has written about conflict in the Middle East for 15 years.
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