Lining one wall of the juice bar are photos of every Iraqi leader of the past 100 years. They include posed portraits of regal kings, business-suited presidents and men in military uniform.
But one picture in particular catches my eye. Haji Mohammad Abdel Ghafour, owner of the juice bar, follows my gaze and chuckles. “They all came here to try our juice,” he says. “Even Saddam Hussein. Today in Iraq it is illegal to display pictures of Hussein, but the history of this cafe, and what it means to the city, means we are given an exception.”
For more than 120 years, Ghahfour tells me, the recipe of the dark and sweet raisin juice that has made Haji Zbala Juice famous across Baghdad has been a zealously guarded secret. “It has passed through my family, from generation to generation,” he says. “People come here from across Baghdad and all over Iraq to try our juice.”
Haji Zbala Juice is so famous, Ghafour says, that it has a saying linking it to the well-being of the city. It goes: "If there's juice to be had, then al-Rashid Street is alive and Baghdad is alive."
I’ll admit that Baghdad was not the first place I had considered for a city break. But then I stumbled upon a photo of an elderly man sitting with friends in a dimly lit cafe. They were drinking small glasses of black tea while engrossed in a game of chess. The scene intrigued me. When I discovered that Baghdad has many such premises, I booked my trip.
It is not the city I imagined, one that has featured in many news reports I've seen over many years. It has an enduring love affair with cafes. It’s believed that the first – Khan Jahan – opened its doors in 1590. Although it has long since ceased to exist, it didn’t take long for cafes to become an integral part of the city's cultural and social fabric.
Cafes were – and still are – places where people of all backgrounds could meet and mingle without social or religious restrictions. Some Baghdad cafes became especially popular with free thinkers, writers, scientists, artists and revolutionaries. Cafe culture reached a peak during the first half of the 20th century. That's when al-Rashid Street, which is lined by Ottoman-era archways, became the cultural heartbeat of the city.
But the good times did not last. Political upheaval, civil strife and war turned al-Rashid Street into a shadow of its former self. As Baghdad was torn apart, cafes that had once hosted poets and chess players began to close their doors. But a few held on. Today, as Baghdad looks to a brighter future, historic cafes of the old city are enticing a new generation.
De Rose, in Karada district, is one of the new wave of bright, modern and colourful cafes that are popular with young Iraqis of both sexes. It's notable for an old-fashioned British phone box filled with roses.
Old versus new
It was perhaps inevitable that Jaafar, who I meet in Haj Naim Cafe, would become a part-owner of the venue. He is a history journalist with a passion for Baghdad’s historic cafes. “I first came to the Haj Najim Cafe in 1969 and it became a part of my life until eventually I became a part-owner,” he explains.
Scanning the empty benches, he takes a sip of his tea. “When I was younger, this cafe was popular with powerful Baghdadi families and was always busy, but today old cafes like this are suffering and only have a handful of regular customers.”
Business partner and co-owner Hayder Najim adds: “Today there are a lot of new, more western-style cafes that young people prefer, so Baghdad’s historic cafes are dying out.”
Some of the older cafes are fighting back against the Insta-friendly generation springing up in newer neighbourhoods. Umm Kulthum Cafe, for example, is a shrine to the legendary Egyptian singer and actress. Her image adorns every available wall space and her music plays on a loop.
But nobody was paying her music much attention during my visit. All eyes were focused instead on chess boards that are attracting a new generation to Baghdad’s old cafes. A tournament is held in this one every Friday: “It’s open to anyone, but the standard is good,” explains one fan. “The tournament attracts a lot of people, but most come just to watch.”
Further down the street is Ghazi Alturathi Cafe. A relative newcomer, it only dates to the 1970s, but is decorated in an attractive period manner. Here there are no chess games in sight. Instead an eclectic audience – men and women of varying ages – were clapping hands and tapping feet in time to a band belting out old Iraqi classics. The owner, who asked not to be named, told me that bands are invited for jam sessions each week to keep the cafe busy.
Dating back to 1917, Shabandar Cafe has seen it all, from good times to bad. It was here that the first protests against British colonial rule were planned. The walls are covered in pictures of recent Iraqi political and cultural personalities. When current owner Mohammed Al-Khashali took over in 1962, he took the unusual step of banning board games, dominoes and cards.
“I wanted it to be a place where people of culture could meet to talk or write without any distractions” he tells me. “It’s a cafe that represents the people of Baghdad.”
If cafes represent the people, then as long as they are filled with musicians, poets and chess players, Baghdad really is alive.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
GCC-UK%20Growth
%3Cp%3EAn%20FTA%20with%20the%20GCC%20would%20be%20very%20significant%20for%20the%20UK.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20My%20Department%20has%20forecast%20that%20it%20could%20generate%20an%20additional%20%C2%A31.6%20billion%20a%20year%20for%20our%20economy.%3Cbr%3EWith%20consumer%20demand%20across%20the%20GCC%20predicted%20to%20increase%20to%20%C2%A3800%20billion%20by%202035%20this%20deal%20could%20act%20as%20a%20launchpad%20from%20which%20our%20firms%20can%20boost%20their%20market%20share.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
West Asia rugby, season 2017/18 - Roll of Honour
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Pakistan T20 series squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammed Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Amir Yamin, Mohammed Amir (subject to fitness clearance), Rumman Raees, Usman Shinwari, Umar Amin
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
