The Arab Library in Nineveh .. 100 Years of Culture and Thought

Nineveh - INA

 Najafi Street is one of the oldest and most important streets in the city of Mosul, as it extends between Nineveh Street, south of Al-Shaareen Market, until the beginning of Ghazi Street, and its name was derived from Muhammad Najafi and his family, who were the first to inhabit this street  .

 After the opening of Ghazi Street in 1922, it became the communication link between Nineveh Street and Ghazi Street, and the location of Najafi Street, which mediates the city’s streets between its markets and shops, helped to meet those who intend to search for culture, books and other publications such as cultural and political newspapers and magazines, and strengthened the position of this street  .

As the city of Mosul at the beginning of the twentieth century was a small city and was limited to what is now known as the right side of the city, which made it easy to move between its parts and reach this street with ease .

 Among the ancient library of the first generation who put their fingerprints on this street is Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al-Karaji, the owner of the Arab library that was established in 1921 and is located at the entrance to Najafi Street, and he used to bring various and different books from outside Iraq, and he published his first book entitled (Dictionary of Proverbs of Mosul Colloquial) ) Written by Abdul Khaleq Al-Dabbagh and printed in Al-Hadaf Press in Mosul, and the library continued its work even after the death of its owner, as its management took over his children after him, and thus the library continued and Najafi Street became the headquarters of many printers and offices of newspapers and magazines and the street has embraced it since its establishment and by the presence of the Arab library and other Libraries The publishing movement rose in the city of Mosul and played a significant cultural role and issued many books, magazines and publications  .