Baghdad resident Mohammed Salih, 52, is racing against time to document his hometown’s disappearing heritage, which has fallen victim to decades of war, neglect and mismanagement.
“Unfortunately, our heritage and old Baghdadi houses are fading away,” says Mr Salih, a civil engineer, standing next to a rundown building dating back to early last century in a narrow alley in Al Sinak area.
“It’s so heart-wrenching to describe Baghdad today,” Mr Salih tells The National.
Baghdad – also known as the Round City and the City of Peace – was built by the Abbasid caliph Abu Jaafar Al Mansur between 762 and 775 AD to serve as the capital of the Abbasid Empire that stretched from present-day Algeria to Pakistan.
For nearly 500 years, the city was the centre of economic and political power in the world, during the Islamic Golden Age. Then, the metropolis was an attractive destination for students, prominent poets, scientists, merchants and others from all over the world.
But that era ended with the Mongol invasion in 1258AD. At that time, the city suffered heavily.
The Mongol conquerors killed the caliph Al Mutasim and most of the city's inhabitants, looting and destroying mosques, libraries and other buildings.
After the Mongols, Persians and the Ottoman empire competed for the occupation and rule of Baghdad as part of the Ottoman-Safavid war. The Ottoman rule was the longest, lasting to 1918, and was followed by the British occupation.
Mr Salih's quest to discover old Baghdad goes back to 1989 when he arrived at the College of Engineering as curriculums on building techniques and the plans of old cities took him to the city's historic districts.
After the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, Mr Salih decided to use his experience for the benefit of the public.
“It was not easy before to hold a camera and take photos without security approvals from the authorities,” the Industry Ministry employee says.
“But since 2003, there has been a space of freedom and with phones fitted with cameras, anyone can now take pictures."
During his days off and on holidays, he walks through the countless twisted old alleys that run through the city like arteries.
At the end of each tour, he writes a post on his Facebook page, explaining the history of each site accompanied by new and old pictures.
“Readings offer me 75 per cent of the site information and location and the other 25 per cent I get from the people,” he says. “Sometimes, I can find only bricks or walls or nothing."
In recent decades, Baghdad has lost significant parts of its architectural heritage because of social and political unrest and the absence of the preservation projects.
Some old properties that once belonged to dignitaries and tell the story of its past glory are still standing. They are either under the government control or privately owned.
With a lack of law enforcement, many owners demolished their old homes without proper permits to build new buildings. Others have been turned unceremoniously into warehouses or workshops.
For some owners and tenants, Mr Salih is an unwanted guest.
He believes they fear that any light shed on the condition of dilapidated properties by his posts could spur government action. But sometimes, his negotiation skills can open doors.
In late November, he sneaked into the palace of Menahem Saleh Daniel, a well-known Jewish merchant, landlord and politician who was born in Baghdad in 1846 and died there in 1940, in the Al Sinak area.
The old section overlooking the Tigris was built in 1919 for the family and the other part facing Al Rasheed Street was built four years later for guests.
The two-storey house has marble staircases, tiles with floral and geometric designs, latticed windows and sprawling inner courtyards.
For years, it hosted King Faisal, the first Hashemite king of Iraq who reigned from 1921 until his death in 1933, as well as other dignitaries.
Like other Jewish community properties, the house has been considered a frozen asset since the 1950s after the emigration of Jews from Iraq. The government has given it to a local film company that undertakes renovation works.
The end of a long journey
At the entrance of the old part, Mr Salih was stopped by the supervisor, but managed to convince the man to allow him to enter.
Minutes later, he found what he was looking for.
With a smile and a gleam in his eyes, he yelled: “Here’s the first elevator in Iraq,” pointing to the now-idle lift that Menahem built for his wife who couldn’t use the stairs.
In 2021, his long journey came to fruition.
He wrote The Last Remaining Baghdad, a book that takes the reader on a journey of Baghdad while learning about the stories behind each site. He is working on the second edition.
“When I walk in Baghdad’s alleys and see its old houses, bazaars and mosques, I feel like living in its past glory,” he said.
“I feel good and forget all my worries.”
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MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Company%20Profile
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How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
