More
- Classifieds
- Cars
- Deals
- Real Estate
- Rentals
- Photos
- Find&Save
- Obituaries
- Archives
- Topics
- Blogs
- WP Wine Club

In the News

The new face of Iraq

American troops are gone, and normal, everyday life is returning to the country — especially its capital. Baghdad’s streets are filled with people eating, shopping and having some fun.

5 Seconds

00:00

00:00

Iraqis pass a popcorn booth where Sabri Naji, 49, sells the snack in the Mansour neighborhood of Baghdad. He said he is thankful for the December 2011 departure of U.S. troops from his country. "Now, after the withdrawal, it's a little bit safer than before," he said. When the Americans were around, added Naji, who has sold popcorn on the streets for 25 years, there was a constant fear of explosions and shootings.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

A wedding party packed into vehicles celebrates a recent marriage.

A wedding party packed into vehicles celebrates a recent marriage.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Commuters pay 500 Iraqi dinar, or about 40 cents, to ride a city bus in Baghdad. The double-decker bus system that functioned under Saddam Hussein's rule disappeared after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Sixty new buses, made in Jordan, now crisscross the capital on state-run lines, which were revived in May. The buses are an alternative to the city's often-cramped minibuses and the more pricey mustard-yellow taxis. They’re also cool, thanks to air conditioning.

Commuters pay 500 Iraqi dinar, or about 40 cents, to ride a city bus in Baghdad. The double-decker bus system that functioned under Saddam Hussein's rule disappeared after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Sixty new buses, made in Jordan, now crisscross the capital on state-run lines, which were revived in May. The buses are an alternative to the city's often-cramped minibuses and the more pricey mustard-yellow taxis. They’re also cool, thanks to air conditioning.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

A street market in the southern Karrada district of Baghdad bustles with activity. People in this area say that since the U.S. military pullout, they feel safer while strolling the streets and enjoying the night life.

A street market in the southern Karrada district of Baghdad bustles with activity. People in this area say that since the U.S. military pullout, they feel safer while strolling the streets and enjoying the night life.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Traffic congests an intersection in the Sadr City section of Baghdad on a Sunday in July.

Traffic congests an intersection in the Sadr City section of Baghdad on a Sunday in July.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

MaxiMall, a huge shopping site in Baghdad’s Mansour district, attracts thousands of shoppers. Nearby in the neighborhood, sidewalk cafes are crowded with people drinking coffee and smoking hookah water pipes, yet armored vehicles and ambulances stationed at big intersections remind Iraqis that disaster might be just a detonator away.

MaxiMall, a huge shopping site in Baghdad’s Mansour district, attracts thousands of shoppers. Nearby in the neighborhood, sidewalk cafes are crowded with people drinking coffee and smoking hookah water pipes, yet armored vehicles and ambulances stationed at big intersections remind Iraqis that disaster might be just a detonator away.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Huda Ali, 23, left, and her sister Hind Ali, 34, dentists who speak excellent English, browse the fancier women’s wear at MaxiMall in the Mansour area of Baghdad. Elsewhere, an eight-story Baghdad mall is being built by a Turkish developer, and new car dealerships, shops, spas, houses and offices are rising.

Huda Ali, 23, left, and her sister Hind Ali, 34, dentists who speak excellent English, browse the fancier women’s wear at MaxiMall in the Mansour area of Baghdad. Elsewhere, an eight-story Baghdad mall is being built by a Turkish developer, and new car dealerships, shops, spas, houses and offices are rising.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Aseel Hamza, 17, is led away from her home by her husband, Ahmed Abdul Kareem, 23, during their July 11 wedding in Baghdad. After the U.S. military withdrew from Iraq, Hamza quit secondary school to become a bride.

Aseel Hamza, 17, is led away from her home by her husband, Ahmed Abdul Kareem, 23, during their July 11 wedding in Baghdad. After the U.S. military withdrew from Iraq, Hamza quit secondary school to become a bride.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Bride Aseel Hamza and groom Ahmed Abdul Kareem share a moment under the watchful eyes of their parents. The two were driven to their wedding reception in a Hummer limousine. The military Humvee became the icon of the U.S. war in Iraq, a nine-year campaign. Now, as Iraq struggles to recover, the Humvee’s tarted-up civilian offspring is a gaudy, check-me-out sign that Iraqis suddenly have a little space in their lives for something other than dread. “Yes, these cars were a symbol of war,” said Abdul Kareem Mohammad, a government worker who paid $400 to rent one of the strutting American vehicles for his son’s wedding. “But now, it’s a symbol of our joy. It’s a symbol of peace.”

Bride Aseel Hamza and groom Ahmed Abdul Kareem share a moment under the watchful eyes of their parents. The two were driven to their wedding reception in a Hummer limousine. The military Humvee became the icon of the U.S. war in Iraq, a nine-year campaign. Now, as Iraq struggles to recover, the Humvee’s tarted-up civilian offspring is a gaudy, check-me-out sign that Iraqis suddenly have a little space in their lives for something other than dread. “Yes, these cars were a symbol of war,” said Abdul Kareem Mohammad, a government worker who paid $400 to rent one of the strutting American vehicles for his son’s wedding. “But now, it’s a symbol of our joy. It’s a symbol of peace.”

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Aseel Hamza and Ahmed Abdul Kareem receive cheers from security officers as their sleek white Hummer limousine rolls past a security checkpoint en route to their wedding reception. “It’s like being in the movies,” said the mother of the groom, who was draped in a gold-colored veil and riding in the back as checkpoint soldiers poked their heads inside the vehicle for a wide-eyed peek.

Aseel Hamza and Ahmed Abdul Kareem receive cheers from security officers as their sleek white Hummer limousine rolls past a security checkpoint en route to their wedding reception. “It’s like being in the movies,” said the mother of the groom, who was draped in a gold-colored veil and riding in the back as checkpoint soldiers poked their heads inside the vehicle for a wide-eyed peek.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Babies sleep among the joyful noises of a wedding reception in Baghdad.

Babies sleep among the joyful noises of a wedding reception in Baghdad.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Iraqis enjoy the thrill rides at Zawra Park in Baghdad. Other options for families on the July evening included riverfront parks with Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, cotton-candy sellers and a Russian circus that was in town.

Iraqis enjoy the thrill rides at Zawra Park in Baghdad. Other options for families on the July evening included riverfront parks with Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, cotton-candy sellers and a Russian circus that was in town.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Aqeel Shakar weighs and tags a carp at Abu Nuwas Park in Baghdad. The fish will be prepared for diners.

Aqeel Shakar weighs and tags a carp at Abu Nuwas Park in Baghdad. The fish will be prepared for diners.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Sami Gazi, 18, left, and Aqeel Shakar, 31, prepare fish at Baghdad’s Abu Nuwas Park for the evening rush of diners.

Sami Gazi, 18, left, and Aqeel Shakar, 31, prepare fish at Baghdad’s Abu Nuwas Park for the evening rush of diners.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Families sit for dinner on the streets of the Karrada district in Baghdad.

Families sit for dinner on the streets of the Karrada district in Baghdad.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Ali Sameer, 19, center, raises his face toward a fan's cool breeze on a warm summer evening at Burger Joint in the Mansour neighborhood of Baghdad. Burger Joint is the first unabashedly American-style restaurant in the city, and it’s packed nightly. The menu, in Arabic and English, offers hot dogs, milkshakes and apple pie. Ahmed Nazar, 20, left, a computer-engineering student at Mansour University College said, “A lot of people say the Americans destroyed Baghdad, and they are very, very grateful for them to go out from this country.' But Nazar added that such thinking is “narrow-minded” and that he loves all things American. He speaks English and is a fan of David Letterman. “And hamburgers are delicious,” he said.

Ali Sameer, 19, center, raises his face toward a fan's cool breeze on a warm summer evening at Burger Joint in the Mansour neighborhood of Baghdad. Burger Joint is the first unabashedly American-style restaurant in the city, and it’s packed nightly. The menu, in Arabic and English, offers hot dogs, milkshakes and apple pie. Ahmed Nazar, 20, left, a computer-engineering student at Mansour University College said, “A lot of people say the Americans destroyed Baghdad, and they are very, very grateful for them to go out from this country." But Nazar added that such thinking is “narrow-minded” and that he loves all things American. He speaks English and is a fan of David Letterman. “And hamburgers are delicious,” he said.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Danti 'Fortattoo' flips through a U.S.-themed calendar that was brought in by a potential customer as he takes a quick break from inking a tattoo on the back of Qahtan Adnan. Meanwhile, Mustafa Diya'a, second from right, and Abbas Hussam spend time at the tattoo shop in the Karrada district in Baghdad. Tattoos are becoming more popular among Iraqi youth, Danti says, and there has been a rise in U.S.-themed tattoos since the Americans’ withdrawal. He raised his right pant leg to reveal an unfinished tattoo of a U.S. flag that he is inking on his own thigh.

Danti "Fortattoo" flips through a U.S.-themed calendar that was brought in by a potential customer as he takes a quick break from inking a tattoo on the back of Qahtan Adnan. Meanwhile, Mustafa Diya'a, second from right, and Abbas Hussam spend time at the tattoo shop in the Karrada district in Baghdad. Tattoos are becoming more popular among Iraqi youth, Danti says, and there has been a rise in U.S.-themed tattoos since the Americans’ withdrawal. He raised his right pant leg to reveal an unfinished tattoo of a U.S. flag that he is inking on his own thigh.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

Life in the Mansour district of Baghdad is beginning to regain a sense of normalcy since the December withdrawal of U.S. troops. During the height of sectarian violence, the streets of Mansour, an area that straddles a divide between Shiites and Sunnis, were virtually empty.

Life in the Mansour district of Baghdad is beginning to regain a sense of normalcy since the December withdrawal of U.S. troops. During the height of sectarian violence, the streets of Mansour, an area that straddles a divide between Shiites and Sunnis, were virtually empty.

Jahi Chikwendiu / The Washington Post

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 18: Jockey Gary Stevens rides Oxbow out to the front of the pack on the first straight away during the 138th Running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md., on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

Oxbow wins and infield fun at Preakness Stakes in Baltimore

Oxbow put D. Wayne Lukas in the record books again with an upset of Orb in the Preakness, giving the Hall of Fame trainer his 14th win in a Triple...

New York Yankees' Travis Hafner bats during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals Sunday, May 12, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

MLB power rankings

Barry Svrluga assesses the best teams in Major League Baseball through Thursday.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 13: Many seminary graduates are choosing not to become pastors. Rebecca J. Cole received her Master of Divinity and is becoming a community organizer on Capitol Hill. She hugs another graduate after the ceremony. The 2013 Commencement ceremony for Wesley Theological Seminary was held on May 13 at the Washington National Cathedral. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Eager to minister, but not from the pulpit

An increasing number of divinity students who don’t plan to become pastors envision using their degrees to “minister” in a...

epa03704474 A Muslim woman at the ThetKalPyin temporary relief camp near Sittwe in Rakhine State, Western Myanmar, 17 May 2013. A total of 13 people were confirmed dead in neighboring Bangladesh as people began to return home from shelters, a day after Cyclone Mahasen hit the coast, officials said 17 May. EPA/NYEIN CHAN NAING

Photos of the day

Cyclone Mahasen, Texas tornadoes, puffin census, melting Swiss glacier and more.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 16: American Idol Season 12 Winner Candice Glover (C) is seen onstage during Fox's 'American Idol 2013' Finale Results Show at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on May 16, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Candice Glover wins 12th season of ‘American Idol’

The 23-year-old vocal powerhouse from St. Helena Island, S.C., tops competition in her third try.

US actress Claire Julien smiles on May 16, 2013 while posing during a photocall for the film 'The Bling Ring' at the 66th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. Cannes, one of the world's top film festivals, opened on May 15 and will climax on May 26 with awards selected by a jury headed this year by Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Claire Julien, David Hasselhoff, Freida Pinto, Candice Glover, Martin Short and more.

**LOC IMAGE** Geo. Hamilton, Assistant Superintendent, Cambria Iron Mills house, Johnstown Flood, May 31st, 1889. (Photo by Ernest Walter Histed / Library of Congress)

The Johnstown Flood of 1889

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork dam that held Lake Conemaugh failed, and 20 million tons of water descended upon Johnstown, Pa. The flood claimed the lives of 2,209 people and spurred...

HACIPASA, TURKEY - MAY 5: Syrian refugee Hala ponders her life on the run on Sunday, May 5, 2013, in Hacipasa, Turkey. Three times this morning, the sounds of aircrafts were followed by explosions that shook the ground. Hacipasa, which sits just across the river border from Syria, is home of several hundred Syrian refugees who have been displaced by their home country's conflict. For a year, Hala and her family have been displaced from their home village in Syria because of violent conflict. After bouncing from village to village, fleeing bombings that seemed to follow them, the family crossed into Turkey six weeks ago. Initially, the family was deported back into Syria, where they lived in camps for internally displaced Syrians. But when the camps were bombed, the family was allowed to cross into Turkey. Hala said, 'The blood of the people who died in Syria, the martyrs, is our sad song, but nobody is listening.' (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Turkey faces a refugee crisis

More than 400,000 Syrians have crossed into Turkey seeking refuge from the conflict at home. Finding its resources stretched, Turkey is urgently appealing for international aid and...

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Loading...

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.