“We eagerly await Friday.” That is the case for Iraqis in general, and Baghdadis in particular. Everyone looks forward to “Mutanabbi Friday”; after once being lifeless, it has become an outlet for all segments of society.
“Friday is our only outlet, especially since it comes after a week full of work pressure. That’s why every Friday my family and I go to Al-Mutanabbi,” says Amer Fouad, a 42-year-old employee at a government department.
Al-Mutanabbi Street is the artery of cultural life in Iraq in general, and in the capital, Baghdad, in particular. It is usually crowded with visitors from cultural circles, especially on Fridays.
“We choose Al-Mutanabbi because everything there lifts your spirits: music, books, theater performances, art exhibitions, seminars, Al-Shabandar Café, the Tigris, Al-Qishla Square, the people—everything is gathered in one place,” Fouad told Al-Hal Net.
Music and Art
Al-Mutanabbi Street contains dozens of bookstores, publishing houses, cultural centers, and literary clubs, not to mention cafés and heritage markets such as Souq al-Saray, in addition to the Qishla gardens and its proximity to the Baghdadi Museum.
“My little daughter really loves drawing, and every Friday I bring her here to watch the artists draw people. Sometimes they even teach her to draw, and that makes her very happy,” says Fouad.
For his part, Fouad spends his Fridays exploring the latest releases from publishing houses on Al-Mutanabbi Street, choosing whatever suits him from among novels, social books, and political titles, he says.
Unlike other days, when crowd levels on Al-Mutanabbi Street are normal, on Fridays you can hardly find a place to stand in any corner of the street, making the day lean more toward entertainment than culture.
“My friends and I come to play the oud and guitar to change the overall mood for all the people visiting the street, and to put on a nice performance that brings smiles to everyone’s faces,” says Rami Salam, a young musician.
The Secret of Friday
Rami, a student at the College of Fine Arts at the University of Baghdad, comes to Al-Mutanabbi every Friday, and rarely visits the street on ordinary days. “On other days, it feels like a street limited to the elite, and there are no signs of joy or cheer.”
On December 22, 2021, the Baghdad Municipality announced the completion of the Al-Mutanabbi Street rehabilitation project and published many photos showing how radically different it looked from before.
The Baghdad Municipality began work on the Al-Mutanabbi Street rehabilitation project in Baghdad at the start of summer 2021, completing it just days before the end of the year and reopening it on New Year’s Eve.
Since its reopening after rehabilitation, the street has taken on a more entertainment-oriented character at night. People visit it every evening and stay until late hours, while bookstores are hardly open at night and entertainment activities dominate instead.
It is true that Al-Mutanabbi by night is a new form the street has not known throughout its nearly 80-year history, yet it does not rival “Al-Mutanabbi Fridays,” simply because Friday is the end of the week, the day when families plan to leave home for leisure outings.
A Safe Space
“We go over to the monument and take a nice picture with the statue of Al-Mutanabbi and the Tigris. Most of all, we take a ride on the Tigris in a small boat, and sometimes on the big ferry. The nice thing is that Al-Mutanabbi is right by the Tigris. That gives you a very warm feeling.”
The above was said by Murtada Karim and his girlfriend Fairouz Majeed to Al-Hal Net, as they held each other’s hands and smiles never left their faces. “The street is not reserved for intellectuals; it is a public place, and everyone has the right to come here.”
The fact that Al-Mutanabbi Street Fridays have turned into an entertainment space does not mean the street is devoid of culture. Ali Jaber, a citizen interested in cultural activities, told Al-Hal Net that he visits the Baghdadi Cultural Center every Friday.
“The center opens only on Fridays, and all its activities are cultural: seminars, sessions, morning gatherings, book signings, and celebrations. I have to come here every Friday and attend at least one morning event in either Nazik al-Malaika Hall or Ali al-Wardi Hall,” says Jaber.
Finally, Al-Mutanabbi Street Fridays seem to offer a safe, well-rounded space in every respect, bringing joy to everyone who visits the street. Replicating this in other cultural streets across Iraq’s provinces is a necessary step to expand leisure spaces for citizens.
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