Sitting on a chair and playing dominos, an old man called for tea in a Baghdadi café.
watching him made me remember pictures of some Baghdadi cafés in one of my father's favorite books, "Heritage of Baghdad".
Among a mixture of smoke rising from cigarettes and Argeelas [water pipes], Iraqi men spend most of their time talking about past, present, future and other problems in cafés.
Escaping from the daily problems like water and electricity cut offs, unemployment, terrorism, lack of security and general chaos, the cafés became the center of political and social debate among them.
In Baghdad, there are ancient cafés that are no longer considered normal cafés rather than centers for intellectuals and educated people. As an example, Al-Mustansirya café that was built in 1587 on the banks of the Tigris and restored in the 1960s. Its walls are filled with old photographs of poets and long-dead Iraqi singer Mohammed al-Qobbanji.
Another one, al-Shahbandar, a century-old café in which those who adore knowledge and wisdom gather in. Many of them, buy books from the Muttanabi street and then sit and enjoy discussing the content of these books.
Another one, al-Shahbandar, a century-old café in which those who adore knowledge and wisdom gather in. Many of them, buy books from the Muttanabi street and then sit and enjoy discussing the content of these books.
Before the US-led invasion, people used to spend much time in the cafes they used to go to. But after that and because of the lack of security, they stopped staying for late hours like they used to do previously escaping the hard life they go through. In Adhamiya in northern Baghdad, for example, cafes used to stay up to early hours of the morning. Now, at 10 p.m., these cafés are almost occupied by ghosts and maybe some sleeping cats.
Now, Baghdadis are deprived even from escaping. They have to face all these problems at their homes!!
