Baghdad's al-Battawin: Efforts to revive a historic area amidst crime and decay

Shafaq News / Efforts are underway to restore al-Battawin, a once elegant Baghdad neighborhood known for its diversity and prosperity.

Over time, political and security upheavals have led to its decline, transforming it into a hub of chaos and crime.

"The National" newspaper recently described al-Battawin as a neighborhood with a sophisticated past that has become a distant memory.

Despite its decline, the spirit of its former era still lingers. In the first half of the last century, al-Battawin was a symbol of elegance and diversity, thriving with a mix of Muslims, Christians, and Jews. However, its decline began in the early 1940s, with the rise of a pro-German Iraqi regime and increased Nazi influence, threatening the Jewish community. This led to the infamous Farhud pogrom in 1941, resulting in the massacre of hundreds of Jews and marking the beginning of their exodus from Iraq.

The report noted that the number of Jewish families dwindled significantly over the past thirty years due to harassment. During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, many Arabs, especially Sudanese and Egyptians, moved to al-Battawin, which then became a commercial area with various businesses, particularly printing houses.

The neighborhood further declined in the early 1990s under UN sanctions after the Kuwait invasion, leading to a mass exodus of its original residents, especially Christians. The situation worsened after the 2003 US invasion, which toppled Saddam Hussein and sparked sectarian violence.

Elegant wooden balconies, known as shanashil, once symbols of wealth and architectural beauty, are now in disrepair. The neighborhood has seen increasing crime, alcoholism, and prostitution. Despite its dilapidation, al-Battawin still houses an old Jewish cemetery and a synagogue where a few Jews celebrated their religious occasions until 2003.

Recently, al-Battawin made headlines as security authorities implemented stringent measures against criminals and drug dealers. This paved the way for the government to revisit old plans to restore some dilapidated Jewish houses and revive Baghdad's fading heritage.

The Ministry of Interior reported hundreds of arrests and significant seizures of drugs and weapons. Security forces now guard the main exits, entrances, and alleys, closing illegal brothels and liquor stores.

Municipal spokesman Mohammed al-Rubaie stated that the security operation launched in late April allowed Baghdad Municipality to enter the area for the first time in years, cleaning it up and aiming to transform it into a vibrant area free from organized crime.

According to al-Rubaie, the neighborhood's houses, like other Jewish properties, have been frozen assets since the 1950s, making them unsuitable for residential use after renovation. However, many buildings could be restored for cultural and commercial activities.

Due to limited government funds, Baghdad Municipality is exploring private sector agreements for neighborhood restoration, following the model of a Central Bank and private Iraqi banks-funded initiative to restore al-Mutanabbi Street in old Baghdad.

Al-Rubaie noted that despite over 2,400 houses being listed as heritage sites in al-Battawin, only a few can be renovated. These houses are classified into three categories: those with unique designs that cannot be altered, those that can be modified internally but not externally, and those that can be demolished and rebuilt.

Al-Battawin represents Iraq's social fabric for the past century, said al-Rubaie, highlighting its mix of Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other faiths. The neighborhood's architecture embodies Baghdad's architectural identity, featuring traditional two-story houses with open courtyards surrounded by rooms, connected by stairs to an upper floor with a similar design.

Iraqi Jewish musician and poet Ezekiel Saleh, 95, reminisced about a bygone Baghdad, flourishing in diversity and harmony, recalling the peaceful coexistence of Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the first half of the last century.

Speaking from his home in Jerusalem, where his family settled in 1951, Saleh said, "There was harmony, no hatred. We lived with Arabs like brothers, hanging out, eating together, visiting each other." He lamented the changes that came in the 1940s, particularly after the establishment of Israel.

Saleh retains fond memories of Arab families who protected his family during the Farhud, and of al-Battawin, where he visited his uncle's house every Saturday. He described the neighborhood's quietude and surrounding orchards, predominantly inhabited by Iraqi traders.

Despite spending over 70 years away from Iraq, Saleh concluded, "Whoever drinks the water of Iraq can never forget Iraq."