Saleem Al Basri Statue

The bronze statue of the Iraqi artist Salim Al Basri, created by sculptor Fadhel Misir, is one of the sculptures that embody a prominent figure in the history of Iraqi drama.

The artist Salim Al Basri was born in 1926 in the Bataween district of Baghdad. He was an Iraqi actor and screenwriter known for the character “Haji Rady,” a role that remained beloved by audiences for many years. In 1942, he joined the first civilian acting troupe near Al-Rasafi Square on Al Rasheed Street a troupe whose headquarters, according to accounts, occupied what used to be the dome of the tomb of a Baghdadi Sufi saint.

He stepped away from acting between 1944 and 1948, then returned to perform the play Salim Al-Basri in the Training Square. In 1950, he enrolled in the College of Arts and Humanities, Department of Arabic Language, at the University of Baghdad, graduating in 1954. He studied under distinguished professors such as Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, Jamil Saeed, and Abdul Aziz Al Douri, who was the dean of the college at that time.

After graduating, he became the head of the university theater at the College of Arts, University of Baghdad, where he played a notable role in advancing theatrical activity on campus.

Among his most prominent theatrical works:

An Artist Against His Will

The Desert

Among his most famous television works:

Under the Razor

The Eagle and the Eyes of the City

In his later years, Salim Al Basri withdrew from the spotlight until he passed away in Baghdad on May 9, 1997.