TEMPORARILY CLOSED · LAST DAY WAS MARCH 21 · HELP US SECURE A PERMANENT HOME →
A place to gather.
Minara is a culture salon and café rooted in the majlis — a gathering place for art, conversation, and imagination.
FEATURED IN
01 / ABOUT
A majlis for today —
open to all.
Minara is a culture salon and café rooted in a long-standing Muslim tradition: the majlis — a gathering place where anyone can walk in, meet a friend, and take part in conversation, listen to stories, and join in the shared work of building community.
Across generations and geographies, majlis spaces brought people together to create, debate, and imagine collectively, shaped not by exclusivity but by an open door. Minara is built in that spirit. We are creating a majlis for today, open to all and shaped by what we build together.
SECURING MINARA
Support Minara's Next Chapter
Our last day at 361 Huron Ave was March 21. In just four months, more than 3,000 people passed through our doors and we hosted 80+ gatherings — poetry nights, film screenings, family days, and the kind of conversations our community has been hungry for.
We are now raising $50,000 to help us secure a permanent home where Minara can keep growing. We have a goal and a deadline — and every dollar brings us closer.
Make a tax-deductible donation today.
02 / COMMUNITY
From Our Community
“The space is so beautiful and inviting — from the unique cafe offerings to the vibrant art curation and the boutique featuring curated jewelry, food products, and books alike there truly is something for everyone at Minara! Would 10/10 recommend and will certainly be back with friends and family.”
Maryam T.
“This is an excellent cafe and cultural space in Cambridge that fills a niche I didn't know I needed.”
Hassan C.
“Beautiful space filled with beautiful people who are welcoming to all ages and backgrounds. Hands down, the best Adeni Chai in all of Boston and Cambridge.”
Sadik K.
Have a story to share?
We'd love to hear about your Minara experience. Leave a Google review and help others find their way to the community.
LEAVE A REVIEW →03 / COMMUNITY
Groups Who've Gathered at Minara
From artists to activists, scholars to storytellers — these are the groups and organizations that have hosted events, organized, and created at Minara.
03 / TEAM
Founding Team
Space Director
Jana Amin
Food anthropologist, recent Harvard College graduate, and two times Tedx speaker, Jana reimagines food as a conduit for community healing, archiving, and political education. At Harvard, she led the Society of Arab Students and curated Surah, a digital archive of Muslim women on social media. Driven by her love of the culinary, Jana wrote an award-winning senior thesis on Palestinian kitchens, based on six months of ethnographic work with Palestinian women in Cairo.
Development Director
Abbas Rattani
Process Artist, Filmmaker, Producer, Human enthusiast, and Founding Director of the award-winning Muslim arts & culture collective—MIPSTERZ. He brings over 20 years of experience in prototyping creative ideas, building community, and enabling flourishing. At MINARA, Abbas works to take your ideas of what a catalytic space should be, and turns them into something you can feel.
Creative Director
Ahlam Said
A strategist and storyteller with over 15 years of experience building campaigns and crafting narratives that inspire action, Ahlam's work stretches through advocacy, nonprofits and creative startups. She founded Mennās, a woman-led social enterprise rooted in Yemeni heritage, creating a brand that bridges cultural preservation with economic dignity for artisans. At MINARA, Ahlam leads the creative vision, drawing on her background in production, brand building, and community organizing to shape a space of connection and hospitality.
Technical Director
Yusuf Siddiquee
Sound artist, curator, and co-founder of MIPSTERZ. Yusuf has produced shows and exhibitions for Tribeca Film Festival, The Shed, Kennedy Center and beyond. Blending mixed media with interactive storytelling, he works across film and music to strengthen a sense of belonging. A NEW INC alum, at MINARA Yusuf brings 15 years of experience in nonprofit financial management for cultural institutions such as StoryCorps and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
COMMUNITY
Join Our
Community
Over 1,000 people have joined the Minara community. Be the first to hear about events, programs, and what's brewing at the salon.
09 / PRESS
In the News
WGBH CULTURE · DECEMBER 30, 2025
A New Café in Cambridge Aims to Build Community Through Conversation
WGBH Culture featured Minara as a gathering space rooted in the majlis tradition, celebrating our mission to create community through conversation, art, and shared meals.
READ FULL ARTICLE
CAMBRIDGE DAY · MARCH 4, 2026
Minara in Limbo
Cambridge Day covers Minara's uncertain path forward as the community salon and café navigates the challenges of securing a permanent home in Cambridge.
READ FULL ARTICLE
EDIBLE BOSTON · SPRING 2026
Creating Community in Third Places
Edible Boston profiles Minara as a community third place rooted in Muslim food traditions — a café and cultural salon where everyone is welcome around the table.
READ FULL ARTICLE
THE BOSTON GLOBE · MARCH 21, 2026
Eid Celebrations in Massachusetts Come at a Painful Time for Muslims
The Boston Globe features Minara as a gathering place for the Muslim community in Cambridge, marking Eid al-Fitr amid a moment of grief and celebration held hand in hand.
READ FULL ARTICLE03 / EVENTS
Past Gatherings
No upcoming events at this time.
View past gatherings on LumaWHAT WE ARE
Minara lives as a:
Third Space
To read, dream, talk, meditate, pray or create. A place to share tea with loved ones or sit with a soon-to-be friend.
Gathering Ground
For workshops, film screenings, talks, performances, and family play — among many offerings shaped by the people who walk through the door.
Café
Rooted in global Muslim flavors, changing with seasons and special events. As a nonprofit project, our café sustains the programs and gatherings that happen here.
MENU
Our Cafe
Gathering needs sustenance.
As a nonprofit, Minara's café helps sustain us. Every purchase includes sales tax, no tip, and is priced to help support our operations.
Hot Teas
Adeni Shai
Black tea w/ milk house spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves) — Oat & Coconut Milk OR Whole Milk
$6.50
Palestinian Meramieh Shai
Sage-leaf herbal infusion
$3.75
Kashmiri Kahwa
Saffron & house spices infusion w/ sliced almonds
$4.75
Zanzibari Isle of Clove
Warm milk infused w/ cloves & vanilla
$7.50
Cold Drinks
Milky Minara
Cold brew w/ house spices & maple syrup
$7.55
Minara Spiced Star-Anise Cold Brew
Cold brew w/ star anise w/ house spice
$5.25
Sudani Iced Minara Karkade
Hibiscus tea swirled & coconut foam
$6.50
Hot Chocolates
Kashmiri Red Chili
Rich hot chocolate with warming spices
$8.00
Moroccan Ras el Hanout
Complex spice blend hot chocolate
$8.00
Bites
Sumac & Citrus Dawn Granola
House-made tahini-nut granola & Yafa orange-sumac jam served w/ Sophia's greek yogurt
$7.00
Cacao Cardamom Truffles
Dark cacao w/ cardamom & nuts, dusted in cocoa
$6.00
Canaan Olive Oil & Za'atar
Cold-pressed olive oil from Palestine & za'atar served w/ Iggy's sourdough
$8.00
Kheer Chia Pudding
Our take on the South Asian dessert staple topped w/ pistachios & rose dust
$8.00
Chef Daryl's Original Bean Pie
Custard-like navy bean pie made in Roxbury
$6.00
PROPOSE A GATHERING
Propose a Gathering
When Minara finds its permanent home, it will once again be a place where people bring their ideas into the room. If you have a vision for a gathering, a workshop, or a collaboration — we want to hear from you now, so we can build it together.
EMAIL US09 / CONTACT
Come Sit With Us.
Leave us a note
MINARA is the latest major initiative of MIPSTERZ, an award-winning nonprofit arts and culture collective with over a decade of experience of building communities, incubating creativity and amplifying marginalized voices.