The Brazilian Café () was an old well-known coffeehouse in
Baghdad,
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, that was notable for its European style and significant artistic legacy.
Located near the Aladdin Cinema, the coffeehouse also provided Brazilian coffee that was imported from
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
since the 1940s which was prepared by a specialized worker using machines for preparing steamed coffee. Among its well-known visitors were former Iraqi Prime Minister
Nuri al-Said and the Iraqi poet
Abd al-Wahhab al-Bayati.
Description
The Brazilian Café was officially opened in 1937 in
al-Rashid Street.
Due to its European style, the coffeehouse stood out from the many coffeehouses in Baghdad. Many of the cafés of Baghdad were traditionally Baghdadi in style. The café, along with the Swiss Café on the same street, was visited by artists and writers who studied in art institutes in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, and many other European cities.
The Brazilian Café was much more traditional than the Swiss Café. The café served
Turkish coffee, which included Brazilian beans, after which the coffeehouse extracts its name from.
It also
Nescafe that it imported from outside countries since the 1940s and would provide the latest news of politics, literature, and culture at the time, along with newspapers and magazines that were also provided by the café.
The coffeehouse also had an outside area to sit in on the sidewalks of al-Rashid Street and was also located next to a club-house where
Afifa Iskandar was known to sing.
The coffeehouse was also a resting place for college students, the educated class, writers, and poets. Notably, a young
Jawad Seleem wrote in his memoirs after meeting
Polish artists in the coffeehouse "''Now I know color, now I know drawing.''"
Young poets would also gather in the coffeehouse to fulfill an independent role, and to make a stand independently.
Notable events
The coffeehouse was significant for being the first starting point for the emergence of the modern plastic movement in Iraq, and the first starting point for establishing the
Union of Iraqi Writers. Visitors of the café, including its founders Abd al-Wahhab al-Bayati, Kazem Jawad, Rushdi al-Amil, and Nizar Abbas, applied for a license to form the union and help in its establishment.
The Iraqi government at the time, which reportedly spied on several Iraqi poets and writers, showed concern following its establishment. Following the arrest of artist Hussein Mardan by the police due to pictures of his controversial poetic collection "Nude Poems" resurfaced,
many Iraqi writers have been dismissed from their jobs.
After the
Iraq War, the Brazilian Café closed its doors similar to many Baghdadi coffeehouses, its building was turned into a commercial store for selling fabrics.
See also
*
Al-Beiruti Café
*
Café culture of Baghdad
*
Shabandar Café
*
Al-Zahawi Café
*
References
{{coord missing, Iraq
Tea houses
Coffeehouses and cafés in Baghdad
Buildings and structures in Baghdad