Coffeehouse culture of Baghdad

Some owners went as far as hiring female dancers and singers from Egypt, and the Levant, and this recruitment was considered a shift in public social morals at the time.

[13][14] During the Royal era of Iraq, coffeehouses became a phenomenon and a sign of political and literary transformation and became places where the educated class and the pioneers of thought would sit and gather.

Artists like Jawad Saleem and Faeq Hassan who studied in Europe would visit these Western-styled coffeehouses as at the time Iraqis were much more open to foreign cultures.

[18] By then the coffeehouse culture was a normal everyday part of the people of Baghdad, and a typical Iraqi environment that included all directions, ideas, and currents, along with conflicts and rivalries erupting, especially during Friday mornings and afternoons.

[7] Despite the fact that the pioneers of the more modern and Westernized cafes did not appreciate the traditional coffeehouses that were widely spread throughout the city at the time, they were closely related to their fellow writers and artists, despite their differing intellectual visions and affiliations.

[22] He wrote:I spent my days running back and forth between the many cafes on al-Rashid Street, which were the gathering places of young writers and artists - most of them Muslim, secular, left-wing, and all of them several of years older than I was.

As such, they suspected the work of al-Haydari, a young poet who started to visit the coffeehouse after al-Rusafi's death, was considered a "Western plot against the Arabic literary heritage.

[25] After the US-led invasion of Iraq, new cafés witnessed a new shift with huge sums of money being spent on their preparation, and cakes, refreshments, and juices were served in a lavish way.

[2][3][25] The US occupation also caused many Iraqi competencies such as physicists, mathematicians, atomic energy scientists, doctors, university professors, senior staff officers in the army, or experts in military industrialization, to flee to Syria and Jordan to escape the harsh conditions that came after the invasion.

Coffeehouses in Syria and Jordan, specifically Damascus and Amman, became meeting areas for these Iraqi experts due to their sense of isolation and limited opportunities they faced.

[30] Al-Beiruti Café (Arabic: مقهى البيروتي) is one of the oldest surviving resting stations and heritage coffeehouses in Baghdad, dating to the 17th century.

The coffeehouse is visited by all ages for entertainment and acts as a small forum in which issues related to economic, political, and other affairs are discussed regularly.

In the spring of 1954, the levels of the Tigris River rose due to the abundance of rain, which led to the flooding of the city of Baghdad and the sinking of the original café.

[13] Dar al-Atraqchi Café (Arabic: مقهى الأطرقجي) is a newer coffeehouse that managed to gain popularity after it succeeded in simulating the old Baghdadi atmosphere and the lack of any modern flavor.

During the morning on the day, the 14 July Revolution that overthrew the Hashemite dynasty in Iraq took place, the owner of the café ran to the rooftop of his house near the coffeehouse with binoculars to witness the bombing of several ministries, he was shot by unknown gunmen.

[34] Star Café (Arabic: مقهى نجم) is a meeting place for the writers, artists, and dignitaries from the Kadhimiya district and is located on the entrance of Sharif al-Radi Street.

One of the oldest surviving cafés, it is distinguished by outstanding heritage pictures, including a rare painting by the painter Ibrahim al-Naqqash representing the old Baghdad architecture and shanasheel, in addition to the presence of old samovars, on one of which was written the date of 1909.

The coffeehouse used to be frequented by senior employees of governmental departments, such as Yasin al-Hashemi and Hikmat Sulayman, as well as notables, such as al-Rusafi, and major merchants.

After the 14 July revolution, the coffeehouse became home to nationalist, Ba'athist and Islamic movements along with anti-communist sentiment and pictures of former-Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser hung on its walls.

[41] Azawi Café (Arabic: كهوة عزاوي) is one of the oldest and most popular coffeehouses of Baghdad, located in al-Maidan Square near Mosque-Madrasa of al-Ahmadiyya.

[43] Founded by Hameed al-Qaisi, the café was distinguished by its celebrations and reviving the nights of Ramadan, and it was a place for popular games that are based on insight and meditation, the most famous of which is al-Muhaibis.

[citation needed] The Brazilian Café (Arabic: مقهى البرازيلية) was one of the most famous and oldest coffeehouses in Baghdad, located in the neighborhood of al-Muraba'a towards the eastern door near the Broadway Cinema.

[citation needed] Hassan Ajami Café (Arabic: مقهى حسن عجمي) is an old coffeehouse that dates back to 1917 and is located on al-Rashid Street, opposite the Haydar-Khana Mosque.

Designed in English architecture, the patrons of the café were mostly Westernized intellectuals, enlightened journalism men, and liberal politicians with Marxist, revolutionary, and nationalist ideas.

[citation needed] The Parliament Café (Arabic: مقهى البرلمان) was an old coffeehouse opened in the mid-1940s by the Hajj Hussein Fakhr al-Din in al-Rashid Street.

It used to be a small shop selling coffee varieties, then it developed into a large elegant coffeehouse where people and families to distract themselves from the current political crisis and problems that afflict Iraq.

Located on al-Mutanabbi Street, Shabandar Café has been known for being the main attraction for writers, poets, politicians, and book lovers and was a starting point for the demonstrations taking place against British colonialism.

The walls of the café are decorated with old pictures of Iraqi society and according to its current owner, Muhammad al-Khashali, they represent Iraq's rich heritage.

The coffeehouse had an unusual style for the people of Baghdad with its dazzling façade, luxurious thick glass, and elegant tables made of bamboo sticks, in addition to the comfortable chairs that were specially imported from Europe.

[37] The Comic Book series Tales of the Teen Titans published by DC Comics features a story (issue 52, "Jericho's story") that depicts the Teen Titans member Jericho going to the fictional Middle Eastern nation of Qurac (inspired by Iraq) and visiting an Arabian-style coffeehouse named "Café Island" to gain information about the Quraci leader, President Marlo.