Shafaq News– Diyala

In Old Baqubah Market, the historic commercial center ofDiyala province, a small cluster of cafés continues to drift away from smoke,noise, and hurried games, offering a quieter refuge where memory breathes,conversation slows, and time loosens its grip.

Known locally as cafés for retirees and elders, these placesare shaped not by what is served, but by what is preserved. A small glass oftea arrives as a familiar gesture, opening space for reflection, exchange, andstories carried across decades.

Their simplicity has remained untouched. Wooden chairs bearthe softness of use, voices settle into calm rhythms, and silence is allowedits place. Words are chosen carefully, guided by experience rather thanurgency, and by an unspoken respect for listening.

On Saturdays, the cafés widen their circle. Educators,writers, and artists gather from across Diyala, sometimes joined by poets andcultural figures from other Iraqi cities. “Books, poetry, and stories circulatehere,” Mahmoud Abu Hadeer, a regular visitor, told Shafaq News. “Public issuesare discussed, and memories of politics, art, and daily life are sharedquietly, without display.”

The cafés, he added, offer a rare calm in a city whose pacehas steadily accelerated. “People come to find an atmosphere that resemblestheir own lives and to speak with those who understand their journeys.”

For him, the cafés also reflect the meaning of retirementitself. After long years of work and struggle, he noted, people seek spacesthat protect dignity and allow this stage of life to unfold with balance andself-respect.

That sense of belonging resonates with Abbas Sabri, aretired school principal, who sees these corners as one of the few settingsgenuinely attuned to older generations. Modern cafés, he shared, rarely matchtheir pace or spirit.

“These gatherings suit us,” Sabri said. “Each week, anartistic or literary figure is hosted. Today, we discussed Iraqi drama, itschallenges, and what it still needs.”

As Old Baqubah Market continues to change around them, thesecafés remain quietly steady—not resisting time, but conversing with it—placeswhere experience is honored, dialogue unfolds without haste, and memorycontinues to speak in its own unhurried voice.