Bataween

al–Bataween is a neighborhood in Baghdad, Iraq. It is located in eastern region of Baghdad, on the riverside of the Tigris and is part of Rusafa district. Prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, it was the main Jewish quarter of Baghdad. Today, the neighborhood is inhabited by Muslims, Christians and remaining Jews.

Al–Bataween
Neighborhood
Tigris River
Coordinates: 33.3201° N, 44.4205° E
Country	Iraq
Governorate	Baghdad Governorate
City	Baghdad
District	Rusafa
Government
• Type	Municipal Corporation
• Body	Baghdad government

Established in the 1930s by Iraqi Jews and Armenian Christians, Bataween was one of the historic Jewish quarters of the city. One of the most affluent neighbourhoods in the city of Baghdad, it was home to numerous synagogues and churches. After the Jews fled Iraq, Bataween was inhabited by Muslim families. During the 1980s, a large number of Sudanese and Egyptians moved to the neighborhood. Until 2003, Iraq retained a substantial Jewish community, most of whom lived in Bataween. Since the spillover of civil war in Syria, many Syrian families have settled. Few prominent Jews such as Shamuel, Naseem Hesqil, Kadoori Merlawi, Salih Selson, Salim Manshi and Ghareeem families lived in Bataween.

History

Etymology

The name of the Al-Bataween neighbourhood came from the word (Al-Bata), which is a village in the city of Hillah. Some of its people left it to settle in Baghdad in the orchards of this area, such as the (Mamo) orchard and the lettuce orchard.

Early development

Hakham Ezra Dangoor (b.1848)— Chief Rabbi of Baghdad (1923-1926) in the New Synagogue of Baghdad

Many of the residents of this neighborhood were Iraqi Jews who lived alongside Armenian Christians, many of whom had immigrated to Iraq after the Armenian Genocide in 1917, as well as before it, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They also lived with other Christian communities, such as the Chaldeans, particularly the poorer classes among them in more recent decades, as well as Arab and Kurdish Muslims. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were built in the mid-1930s. Jews lived in harmony and accord with Muslims during that time. Among the Jewish families who lived in this neighbourhood were: the house of Yousef Abu Sami (Shamuel), Nissim Hezekiel, the house of Khadouri Mirlawi, Saleh Salsoun, the house of Shasha and Salim Manshi, Karaji Daoud and others. They practised their religious rituals with complete freedom and had several synagogues, namely the Shamash Synagogue and Masouda Shamtob Synagogue, in addition to , which is close to the Batawin Market.

According to some accounts, construction in the Bataween area began after World War II when people started to move into the area, following the displacement caused by the 1941 Farhud massacre. At that time, Jews primarily resided in the Abu Saifin area. Bataween was originally farmland, planted with crops like lettuce, and the Jewish community sought refuge there after fleeing the violence. They moved to the area, known as Karrada Maryam, on the Karkh side of Baghdad, escaping the killings and finding protection from local farmers. In the early fifties of the last century, after the migration of Jews from Iraq, the Bataween neighbourhood lost many of the Baghdad Jewish families. Tunis Street, near the White Palace, was relatively populated by Jewish families such as the Gitayat Salman, Sami and Meir brothers, in addition to the Qattan family, the lawyer Yaqoub Abdul Aziz, the Lawy and Bikhour families, and others.

A local man named Abdul Ali, who lived in the nearby Sobna (or Karadah Maryam) area, helped in protecting the Jewish refugees. The land in this area was government property, but it was not sold for money. Instead, it was based on an acquisition system, where individuals could claim land by cultivating it. The price, if any, was minimal—just a few dirhams. The farmers who lived in Bataween, attracted by its proximity to the Tigris River, built homes for themselves using clay. As Jews arrived, they too settled in the area and began constructing homes. Years later, under the guardianship of Abdul-Ilah, a perforated brick factory (known as al-Muzraf) was imported, and the Jewish community was again at the forefront, establishing the first brick factories in the region. This neighborhood was also adorned with Christian churches and synagogues for the Armenians and one for the Jacobites in Tunis Street and others. The most beautiful thing that characterized this neighborhood was the good neighborliness and coexistence between the three religions. Over time, the neighbourhood turned into a commercial and industrial area, where shops and printing presses multiplied after the migration of the Jews in the late sixties.

1958–2003

During the time of Abdul-Karim Qasim, the situation of the region's Jews improved. However, antisemitism increased during the rule of Abdul Rahman Arif, as the Arab states lost to Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Jews were put under house arrests in the neighborhood and placed under tight surveillance.

The fortune of the neighborhood improved gradually, as Saddam Hussein assumed more power. He made amendments to Jews in Iraq, most of whom lived in Baghdad's Bataween district. Meir Taweig Synagogue continued to function as Baghdad's only active synagogue. It was restored in 1988, with help of Saddam. He also stationed guards to protect Jews and security forces protected the synagogue. Frank Inny School in Bataween, the last Jewish school of Iraq, was nationalized in 1974. During the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), a large percentage of the Arab community, particularly Sudanese and Egyptians, moved here. The neighbourhood began to decline during the Gulf War. The international community imposed sanctions on Iraq, resulting mass emigration of people living in the neighbourhood, particularly Christians. Bataween was also targeted during both the wars.

An incident happened in 1998, on the day of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, where a Palestinian man shot four people to death at the Jewish community center, including two Jews. Following the arrest of the shooter, police were stationed around the synagogue and the Jewish quarter and maintained security. The government denounced the attacks and issued statement sympathizing with victims. This incident was condemned by in a meeting of cabinet, chaired by Saddam. The arrest man was tried in the court and was executed in 1999.

Post-Saddam

The synagogue was closed few weeks before the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Within weeks of occupation, the coalition forces took control of Baghdad. Firdos Square, located nearby, was the site were Saddam's statue was toppled, symbolizing end of his regime. Like rest of Baghdad, residents of Bataween were subjected of kidnapping, bombings, thefts and other crimes. The Jews living in the neighborhood were hidden and protected by their Muslim and Christian neighbors.

Many of them also started leaving the country. The north of Bataween lies Bab Al-Sharqi area, which became a stronghold for the Mahdi Army, during insurgency against the coalition forces and civil war between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims from 2006 to 2008. On 26 September 2009, around 6:30 A.M, Hafez Sadkhan Lefta, owner of Al Na'eim Hotel was murdered in the area.

Following the territorial expansion of the Islamic State (IS) during the 2013–2017 civil war, Christians living in the area, fled the country, fearful of future consequences. Many Syrians moved to the neighborhood, escaping from the civil war in Syria. Today only handful of Jews are left in Iraq, most of them in Baghdad, residing in Al–Bataween. But according to the some sources, as of 2014, an estimated 60 to 130 Jews found living in Baghdad. The Jews of the neighborhood are now taken care by their Muslim neighbors.

Most of the Jews in Baghdad lived mainly in Bataween and few in other neighbourhoods. The Jewish people of the region and their sites were protected by the Ba'ath Security Forces. Like elsewhere in Iraq, Jewish schools in the neighbourhood were nationalized and renamed. Saddam restored the Meir Taweig Synagogue in 1985. The synagogue was further expanded. During the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), a large percentage of the Arab community, particularly Sudanese and Egyptians, moved here.

The neighbourhood began to decline during the Gulf War. The international community imposed sanctions on Iraq, resulting mass exodus of people living in the neighbourhood, particularly Christians.

An incident happened in 1998, on the day of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, where a Palestinian man shot four people to death at the Jewish community center, including two Jews. Following the arrest of the shooter, police were stationed around the synagogue and the Jewish quarter and maintained security. The government denounced the attacks and issued statement sympathizing with victims. This incident was condemned by in a meeting of cabinet, chaired by Saddam. The arrest man was tried in the court and was executed in 1999.

Many of the residents of this neighborhood were Iraqi Jews who lived alongside Armenian Christians, many of whom had immigrated to Iraq after the Armenian Genocide, as well as before it, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They also lived with other Christian communities, such as the Chaldeans, particularly the poorer classes among them in more recent decades, as well as Arab and Kurdish Muslims. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were built in the mid-1930s.

Bataween was one of the most affluent neighbourhoods of Baghdad, originally built by Iraqi Jews in the 1930s. The neighbourhood was home to numerous synagogues, schools, yeshivas and clubs.

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Post-Saddam

The synagogue was closed few weeks before the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Within weeks of occupation, the coalition forces took control of Baghdad. Firdos Square, located nearby, was the site were Saddam's statue was toppled, symbolizing end of his regime. Like rest of Baghdad, residents of Bataween were subjected of kidnapping, bombings, thefts and other crimes. The Jews living in the neighborhood were hidden and protected by their Muslim and Christian neighbors. Many of them also started leaving the country. The north of Bataween lies Bab Al-Sharqi area, which became a stronghold for the Mahdi Army, during insurgency against the coalition forces and civil war between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims from 2006 to 2008. Bataween was affected throughout the Iraq War. On 26 September 2009, around 6:30 A.M, Hafez Sadkhan Lefta, owner of Al Na'eim Hotel was murdered in the area.

Following the territorial expansion of the Islamic State (IS) during the 2013–2017 civil war, Christians living in the area, fled the country, fearful of future consequences. Many Syrians moved to the neighborhood, escaping from the civil war in Syria. Today only handful of Jews are left in Iraq, most of them in Baghdad, residing in Al–Bataween. But according to the some sources, as of 2014, an estimated 60 Jews found living in Baghdad. The Jews of the neighborhood are now taken care by their Muslim neighbors.

Landmarks

• Meir Taweig Synagogue is a large Jewish congregation and synagogue. The complex also consists of a Jewish school and a library. It was built in 1942, named after Meir Taweig, an Iraqi Jewish businessman. When the Jews were leaving the country, the synagogue served as registration center. It was restored and expanded under the regime of Saddam Hussein in 1988. he library of the synagogue contained more than one million books. In 1984, it was confiscated by the Secret Police. Later the Jews themselves agreed with the authorities to keep the Jewish Archive, where it was preserved in tight security.
• Sha'shou Palace is a popular palace. Interestingly, houses in Baghdad were typically made from palm trunks and wood, with mats (known as al-Bawari, the plural of Bariya) and dirt placed on top for roofing. It was not until the 1930s, in places like Sha'shou Palace, that brick houses began to appear. The Jewish community was among the first to use bricks for construction. When they came to Bataween after the Farhud, they introduced brick construction, following the traditional style of old Baghdad homes. Bataween became the first neighborhood to be built with bricks, after Sha'shou Palace. This palace, owned by a Jewish man named Eliyahu Sha'shou, was located on the banks of the Tigris River, halfway between Baghdad and Al-A'dhamiyah. In 1920, King Faisal I of Iraq even rented the palace for his private residence.
• Baghdad Jewish Club is an important
• St. Gregory Armenian Church is an Orthodox Church, located on al-Tayeran Square, between Bab al-Sharqi and Bataween. It one of the churches of the Armenian community in Iraq. The church was named after Gregory the Illuminator. Its construction began in 1954 and was opened in 1957, with contribution from Armenian philanthropist Calouste Gulbenkian. Based on the Armenian architecture, the church complex is a sturdy building built with white reinforced concrete. Despite the attacks on churches in Iraq, after the downfall of Saddam, this church remained untouched by the attacks.

See also

• Bab Al-Sharqi
• Shorja
• Al-Habibiyah Jewish Cemetery
• History of the Jews in Iraq