Al-Mutanabbi Book Street: River of Knowledge

This is my story, a story of a street present in Bagdad, a city in Iraq. I am not an ordinary street, I reflect culture, and community, and give wisdom through the knowledge present in me.

My name is Al-Mutanabbi Street, and my history is traced back to the 8th century. During the monarchy of Abbasid caliphs, I was a book trade market.

People would roam around in search of books to purchase. Because people of Badbad read.

It was the time when a famous and classic Arab poet named, Abu al-Tayyib, Ahmad ibn al-Hussein al-Mutanabbi (915-965 A.D) was born.

He had written multiple poetry and Dewan of the 10th century. His work has been translated into multiple languages.

He was a bit headstrong and rebellious poet who would pay tribute and criticism through his poetry.

His poetry reflects love, wisdom, freedom, and war.

He was killed eventually.

I don't what made King Faisal1 give me Almutanabbi's name when he officially inaugurated me in 1932.

I am one kilometer long, and there is a huge wall gate through which people enter the street, just as the Delhi Gate in old walled Lahore.

At the end of the street is the statue of Almutanabbi standing tall.

You can find bookstores, cafes/tea shops, a fort, a museum, stationery shops, and art shops here.

All the shops are freshly painted and decorated with fairy lights, which look like stars at night.

I'm the street for writers, artists, and readers

I'm the perfect date destination for lovers and friends who love reading

Many bookshops and printing houses were opened, and those who couldn't afford it opened their book stalls outdoors.

All the books reflected the ideology of the sitting government. As you may have known i was a street in a diplomatic country before. Monarchy was the system of the government.

People could only sell books that were approved by the government. If anyone was found selling books spreading extremism or criticism against the government, he was thrown in jail.

People used to sell such books secretly.

But one thing remained intact, as a famous Arab saying:

“Cairo writes, Beirut publishes, and Baghdad reads”

Reading was embedded in the culture of Bagdad. The bookshops and stalls were run by elderly people who could be seen reading books while sitting in their shops.
You can Google it and see it for yourself.

Another interesting shop was a cafe named Shahbandar Cafe, which also gives vibes of old Lahore cafes.

It was a place for people to come and meet others and have intellectual talk full of freedom.

A former government head also used to come here and discuss political scenarios and reforms with his fellows.

Seeing him this cafe became a visiting place for many politicians.

Now locals and visitors from other countries visit it for its cultural ambiance.

Until 2003, when bagbad was under the monarchy, I preserved the culture of the golden age of Arabs.

All the books were sold in Arabic, and people knew about every regime change and political uplift happening in the country.

People weren't free to express their views freely, freedom of expression was but a Western ideology.

However, there was peace, a stable economy, no corruption, and no political chaos.

But but but....

They invaded my country, every street of it, including me on the name of War-To destroy weapons of mass destruction (^{Which they never found}).

In 2007, my dearest Shahbandar was bombed when a car exploded outside of it, killing dozens of people including 4sons and 1grandson of the cafe owner.

No one cared about this street. The sectarian war began. They had to shut down this street. Extremism rised. People feared to walk in the open air. Only stray dogs would come out to roam in the street.

My people, my culture, my books, and my library were destroyed.

I don't get it when people start a war to end terrorism and destroy deadly weapons, by killing innocent civilians, why?

If civilians are to get killed either way then why flexing Wars? Why only civilians are killed and not those who impose war?

I don't care how precise your bombs and your weapons are when you set them off, innocent people will die.

^{In October 2002, former US President Bill Clinton warned about the possible dangers of pre-emptive military action against Iraq}

When they wanna conquer people they destroy their intellectual properties, their Libraries.

However, the people of Iraq fought back and reformed me again in 2008. They reconstructed the damaged shops.

That cafe owner opened it again and named it Martyr's shop. He had also hung the pictures of his sons who died, on the entrance wall, leaving him behind with only one son.

He didn't surrender despite his old age.

If you don't mind can I tell you more? I don't know if you find it filmy or fishy.

But this is what me and my people have gone through during this invasion.

After reforming the street, book shops and book stalls were opened again.

A minister of education had to leave his job during that difficult time, you can also see him selling books on a stall to provide for his family :)

The street is crowded again as the war ended. Book owners have the freedom to sell any kind of book, as I am a street in a democratic country now.

I am crowded on Friday mostly as it is a holiday here.

Rents have increased after reforming the street because it's the most famous street in the country.

And about the country, corruption has increased, the employment rate has lowered, but we are free to express our opinion, Welcome to Democracy.

What is worse? Diplomacy or Democracy? You decide.

However, one thing remained intact, The love of Iraqi people for Books and knowledge.

I am still providing a basement for the people to showcase their books and for other people to read them.

Despite a decade of bombing, I'm still standing stronger than ever. They attacked our literature, but see us, we are still selling and reading books.

You can never bomb my people's thirst for knowledge and freedom.

I'm that street where books remain in the street at night because:

"The reader doesn't steal and the thief doesn't read"