But in a country where there are no bars, as alcohol is banned, Raees has proved popular since its first cafe opened in December 2001, offering both a modern environment, complete with wireless Internet access, and — a first — takeaway coffee. By the final years before the revolution, a strange electricity filled the air. Music played in the background, but laughter had grown nervous, glances more cautious.
Even the waiters could sense the change — conversations would hush when strangers entered, and coded phrases replaced open criticism. Yet despite fear, people kept coming. The cafés and bars had become sanctuaries — spaces where freedom still existed, if only for the span of an evening. Behind every toast and whispered plan, there lingered a shared understanding: that the old world was ending, and something new was struggling to be born.
