[1][2] The Ba'ath party under Saddam Hussein also opened the first public internet center on this street.

[1] In the late 1960s, the beginning of the street saw the establishment of al-Moqaddin Café, a café that notably hosted a group of writers who were famous for their rebellious nature against the prevailing cultural scene at the time, and looked at more Western and modern literature trends.

The discussion writers had included artist topics about absurdity, existence, non-existence, textual production, and commitment.

Security forces have also closed the street in order to protect people visiting al-Kadhimiya.

[6] In 2020, after a long process which spanned a decade, al-Firdos Square was restored in hopes of leaving its dark past behind and becoming a cultural hub.