Mutanabbi Street Starts Here.

Mutanabbi Street is the historic center of Baghdad bookselling, a winding street filled with bookstores and outdoor book stalls. Named after the 10th century classical Arab poet, Al-Mutanabbi, this street is the heart and soul of the Baghdad literary and intellectual community.
On March 5, 2007, a car bomb was detonated on Mutanabbi Street. At least 30 people were killed and 100 were wounded.
The Mutanabbi Street Coalition––made up of poets, writers, artists, booksellers, printers and readers––was formed soon afterwards, in response to not just the tragic loss of life, but also to the idea of a targeted attack on a street where ideas have always been exchanged. The coalition recognizes the commonality of Mutanabbi Street with any street that leads to a bookstore or cultural institution, in this country or any country.
The coalition’s work benefits Doctors Without Borders, a non-profit agency working to relieve suffering in Iraq and other troubled areas of our globe. If the work of the coalition has moved you, we ask you to please consider a contribution to this fine organization.