Do you know about Baghdad’s historic book market where books remain out in the street at night?

The street has been a refuge for writers of all faiths since at least the 8th century.

Do you know about a historic book market where books remain out in the street at night without any fear of their being stolen? It is in the Iraqi capital, where people say “the reader does not steal and the thief does not read”.

A long Twitter thread along with photos posted by the account Bayt Al Fann gives interesting insights into the market on Al-Mutanabbi Street. Named after the celebrated 10th-century poet Abul Tayeb al-Mutanabbi, the street has been a historic centre of bookselling in Baghdad. The poet was born under the Abbasid dynasty in what would become modern-day Iraq.