I arrived on a wet evening. The streets were quiet, the pavement reflective. From across the road, KAAWA stood out immediately. Not because it demanded attention, but because it seemed comfortable occupying its own corner of the city.

I did not set out to document a coffee shop. There are enough beautiful cafés. I was interested in the atmosphere that emerges when people are given a reason to stay longer than they intended. KAAWA was opened by two doctors, Hamid and Nuur Ali, as somewhere to stay after most of the city had closed. You feel that intention before anyone explains it to you.

I followed the light through the space. The reflections. The warmth against the darker tones of the interior. The small details that become noticeable once the rush of the day has passed. The work became less about what was being served and more about the environment built around it.