It is a popular and famous cafe whose name is associated with the famous Baghdad song (Ya Kahwatak Azzawi). Its establishment dates back to the nineteenth century. It is located in the Al-Midan area, near the Al-Haraj market, next to the (Al-Ahmadi) neighborhood, next to the Pasha bath. Its owner was called (Ahmed Al-Qaisi), but it became famous by the name of Azzawi Cafe after a young man who worked there who came from Wasit (Al-Kut) named Salman Azzawi. This young man was beloved, generous, cheerful, tolerant, and very helpful to customers, in addition to his distinctive beauty and light-heartedness. He won the hearts of the cafe’s patrons with his intense magical charisma, and he had an impact in promoting the cafe’s reputation among cafe lovers. This led to an increase in the number of cafe patrons, which made them call the cafe in all parts of Baghdad by the name Azzawi. The cafe became a comfortable place for those seeking conversation and enjoying drinking sweet and narcotic tea in a clay pot and preserved in a shiny copper samovar, as well as lemon and cinnamon.
As mentioned in various sources, the famous Azawi Café was one of the cafés that would revive Ramadan nights until Suhoor by holding popular games based on insight and contemplation, such as Al-Muhaibis, Al-Siniya, Al-Naqla, and Al-Qaskhoon in telling the story of Antar and Abla, Al-Zir Salem, and Abu Zaid Al-Hilali, and listening to the Iraqi maqam in the voices of the most famous reciters at that time, such as “Najm Al-Shaikhli and Ahmed Zidan.” As the historical researcher of Baghdad’s shops (Hajj Muhammad Kazim Al-Khashali) says, shadow games were held there from behind a transparent curtain, performed by the artists (Aywaz and Karakoza) under the direction of Rashid Effendi. These scenes contained sarcastic criticism of the prevailing conditions at that time that disturbed the state. One of the poets wrote the lyrics of the famous song “Ya Kahwatak Azawi” as a result of the disagreement that occurred between the young Azawi and the café owner, which led to Azawi’s anger and leaving the café to return to his governorate, in addition to the emergence of another anger between the café owner and his spoiled son who ran and helped the aforementioned café, which led to the absence of many of its patrons. The cafe and its customers gradually decreased, as the cafe became without Azawi, chairs upside down, dust covers everything, the alley is empty, and it looks like a ghost town. Thus, the curtain was drawn on this symbol of heritage and folklore, which led the cafe owner to put it up for sale. These are some excerpts from the lyrics of the song sung for the first time by the late Iraqi maqam master “Youssef Omar” in the Bayati maqam (the maqam of souls): And their separation beside me, the Galmatliyeh, with the rib, I subscribe, my darlings eat, my love is upset
Oh, your coffee, Azawi, the mad lover is upset with it
I ran after them barefoot and with my abaya on my shoulders
A kiss from Asmar is enough
Salman did it to him
They say my love is upset
He greeted me from afar, his eyebrows the crescent moon of Eid
Oh, your coffee, Azawi, the spoiled one is upset with it.
