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Bab Baghdad: A Gateway to Culture, History, and Heritage
By Zainab, on 23 October 2024
Written by Talib Issa
The Baghdad Cultural Center is one of the most significant cultural institutions in Baghdad, Iraq, and the wider Arab region. Housed in the historic building of the Rashidiyah Military School, which was founded in 1869 by Ottoman governor Midhat Pasha, the centre has a rich history. After serving as a hospital during the British mandate, the building was later used as civil courts in Baghdad. It was restored by the Heritage and Antiquities Authority and continued to hold importance until 2011, when it was transformed into a cultural centre. Today, the centre hosts seminars, poetry sessions, and history halls, along with several museums, and has acquired over 30 libraries from notable Baghdad figures.
The center’s courtyard is located along the banks of the Tigris River.
As the first phase of the project came to an end, the features and details became clearer, and the preliminary designs for the interactive guide were completed. This guide is expected to make a unique contribution to Iraq’s cultural scene, especially in Baghdad, by highlighting over 100 years of significant times in history in a modern format. It draws on Baghdad’s heritage in both its design and content.
The media team continued their diligent work in creating and producing reports that will be displayed on special screens at the Baghdad Cultural Center. They completed the first video, which features a beautiful presentation about Baghdad’s libraries and their esteemed scholars, along with a delightful and distinctive collection of photographs.
Baghdad Cultural Centre Team Meeting
The survey team prepared several survey models for the center’s staff, attendees, cultural organizers, and event hosts, which contained information that will be utilized for the first time in evaluating and reconsidering the administrative and cultural work at the center.
Additionally, the designated wing for the project at the center has been completed and equipped with all necessary supplies for use in periodic meetings for various teams, as well as for the storage of the project’s extensive archive, which has started to grow gradually over time.
The team’s trip to Turkey marks a significant step forward for both Baghdadi and Iraqi research. By looking from “Baghdad of Peace” to “Istanbul of Books,” the team created a cultural bridge between Iraq and Turkey’s intellectual communities. During the visit, the team obtained valuable photographic archives from the Presidency of Istanbul University and the rare books library. They uncovered around 3,600 documents related to the Rashidi Military School and Ottoman education in Iraq, written in ancient Ottoman script and dating back over 130 years. The Bab Baghdad project was the first to access and review these documents, which will continue to be studied for years to come.
Documents collected from team’s trip to Turkey
Additionally, we acquired from the private museum of the Turkish Ministry of Defence documents pertaining to the Rashidi Military School and everything related to the building from 100 years ago, which are considered the most important and oldest records in the center’s history. These included signatures from the director of the military school, Ali Saib Effendi, and names of teachers from that time.
In the war museum under the Turkish Ministry of Defense, we found the names of the Rashidi Military and preparatory schools in Baghdad displayed on informational posters, illustrating the administrative level of the military school and its connection to the military academy.
We have provided valuable historical material for the project, which will be used in the interactive guide, the signage system, and a final book that will serve as a comprehensive reference for the center. This material represents the start of a significant transformation in the center’s future activities and will have a lasting impact on cultural efforts in Mutanabbi Street. The positive engagement from various parties, including academics, has been encouraging, particularly with the near-complete electronic archive of the Al-Zawraa newspaper, which spans from the 18th to the 20th century, along with several other initiatives that will be discussed later.
