Mezrab is a storytelling venue in Amsterdam's Eastern Docklands, operating in a former warehouse with a programme centred on the oldest of cultural forms: people telling true stories to a room of strangers. Founded by Iranian-Dutch storyteller Sahand Sahebdivani, it has built one of Amsterdam's most distinctive and genuinely warm cultural communities over a decade and a half of weekly events.
A typical Mezrab evening begins with Iranian soup, homemade, shared, provided as a matter of course, and moves into stories, music, or comedy depending on the night. The storytelling events are particularly strong: monthly shows with a consistent format refined over years of practice. Storytellers range from professionals to first-timers, and the quality of the evening comes as much from the room as from the performers.
Mezrab has expanded its programming to include music nights, comedy, workshops in storytelling and performance, and occasional residencies. But the storytelling community remains at the centre. It is one of the few Amsterdam cultural spaces that is explicitly about connection between people, and one of the few that consistently delivers it.
