Iraq's Baghdad cafe still serving 100 years after opening its doors

From British rule to modern-day Iraq, Baghdad's Shabandar Cafe has lived through the birth of a nation, the toppling of its monarchy, decades of domination by Saddam Hussein, the drama of the US-led invasion and the bloody chaos that followed.

Iraqis sit at the century old Shabandar Cafe in Baghdad. (File photo)
AFP

Iraqis sit at the century old Shabandar Cafe in Baghdad. (File photo)

Seated at tables with glasses of tea in the heart of Baghdad's bookshop district, the customers of Shabandar Cafe have watched 100 years of Iraq's tumultuous history pass by.

Since opening its doors a century ago, the establishment has become a hub of Baghdad's intellectual life, drawing poets and politicians to its wooden benches and photo-lined walls.

TRT World's Yasin Eken reports.

Loading...
Route 6