The street was named after the 10th-century classical Iraqi poet al‑Mutanabbi and has been referred to as the heart and soul of the Baghdad literacy, and intellectual community.

The Street is crowded from the early hours of the morning until late at night with visitors including poets, writers, artists and students as well as tourists from all over the world.

Its lined with freshly-painted and sparkling shops with Fairy lights garlanded the ornate brick facades and wrought iron balconies.

Over the decades, al-Mutanabbi Street evolved into a symbol of intellectual freedom, attracting writers, artists and dissenting voices from across the country.

"[5][6] Stretching for just under one kilometer, the street begins with an arch adorned with the poet’s quotes and ends with a statue of al-Mutanabbi built by sculptor Mohammed Ghani Hikmat overlooking the Tigris River.

After that, the street witnessed three decades of nationalistic Pan-Arabic works that traders were only allowed to sell to that glorified the Ba'ath ideology and later former-President Saddam Hussein.

Nuri al-Said's frequent visits had a big significance in making the café a gathering place for Iraqi politicians.

[12] On December 18, 2008, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki officially reopened the street after a long period of cleanup and repair.

Since its establishment in 1917, the café was a gathering of Iraqi politicians and intellectuals and a starting point for the protests taking place during the mandate of Mesopotamia.

Pictures hanging on its walls represent Iraqi history and society, including the symbols, literary and artistic figures of Baghdad.