Karbala medical graduates open quiet study café for students, professionals

KARBALA — A group of five friends in Karbala, all graduates of medical and pharmaceutical schools, have opened a two-story café designed as a quiet retreat for students and professionals who want to work without distractions.

Located in the al-Muwazafeen neighborhood, the facility opened earlier this month. One of the founders, Abdulrahman Shaker, told 964media, “Since we were students, we struggled to find a calm place for studying. So we decided to create one ourselves.”

Co-founder and pharmacist Zain al-Abideen Laith said the café’s design separates social and study areas. The ground floor serves coffee, sweets and breakfast, while the upper floor is reserved for individual study, group work and meetings. The space also includes a 14-seat meeting room equipped with a projector.

University student Hassan Zaini said the environment is tailored to concentration. “The café provides a quiet atmosphere ideal for study, with free internet and no distractions,” he said.

Another student, Yusr Luay, said he prefers the new space over traditional cafés or studying at home. “The most important thing here is the calm that helps me study better,” he said.

The founders said the café is open to both students and business professionals and aims to offer a focused, productivity-oriented setting rather than a typical social venue.