Alaa Al Din Al Shibli Hall

“Alaa Al Din Al Shibli” (1943–2015) was one of the most prominent Iraqi visual artists who documented the everyday features of Baghdadi life.
His passion for drawing began in elementary school, influenced by the theatre artist “Juma Al Shibli” and the art teacher “Idan Al Sheikhli”, before he forged his own path in the art world and established his name among the leading Iraqi artists.

“Al Shibli” later became the director of the Baghdad Museum, where he contributed to its development by adding new scenes that depicted traditional Baghdadi trades and customs.
Under his care, the museum’s halls were transformed into a vibrant space pulsating with the spirit of the city, as he documented the lives of Baghdadis through paintings and models that conveyed the details of the past with great accuracy and warmth.

He presented dozens of exhibitions inside Iraq and abroad, and many artists who graduated under his guidance continued to enrich the Iraqi art movement.
For more than fifty years, he devoted part of his soul to Baghdadi art, leaving behind a rich visual legacy portraying the alleys, trades, and daily rituals that shaped the identity of Baghdad.

On the first anniversary of his passing, the Baghdad Museum named one of its halls after him in honor of his great contributions to the museum and to Baghdadi heritage.
The hall contains original paintings by the artist and visual scenes that simulate the lives and old professions of Baghdad’s residents, creating a blend that captures the city’s memory and its popular spirit.

The hall also features brass and wooden trays and tables in the old Iraqi style, which were once common in traditional cafes and Baghdadi homes.
These items were typically used to serve tea or coffee and are adorned with geometric engravings and Eastern motifs inspired by Islamic art adding authenticity and warmth that harmonize with “Al Shibli”’s paintings.