Tsawwar… Abdullah Dhiaa Al-Deen
"The historic Shabandar Cafe in Baghdad is considered one of the city’s oldest cultural cafes, dating back to 1917 on Al-Mutanabbi Street near the Tigris River. It's owned by Haj Mohammed Al-Kheshali, who passed away in January 2025 at the age of 93. Despite the hardships it endured, most notably the 2007 bombing that claimed the lives of four of Al-Kheshali’s sons and grandson, Shabandar Cafe has remained a vibrant symbol of Baghdad’s heritage. Its walls preserve old photographs, and it continues to welcome writers, intellectuals, and passersby, maintaining its role as a center of memory and social life in the heart of Al-Mutanabbi Street.
The image shows the cafe’s owner Haj Mohammed Al-Kheshali with a visitor."
Abdullah Dhiaa Al-Deen is a documentary photographer, storyteller and National Geographic Explorer from Karbala, focusing on social issues, memory, and urban change in Iraq. Follow his work on @abdullalii.
Tsawwar is an ongoing visual series in Daftar which explores the stories behind a photograph, taken in the region or by an Arab photographer, written in their own words.
