Journal of Arabic Language & Literature

Revisiting space and place in Baghdad city in Hala Al-Badri’s Matar ala Baghdad: A humanistic cultural geography perspective and Joel Bonnemasion’s approach

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Zineh Erfatpour

Associate Professor Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Academy of Humanities ‌of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jall.2026.93767.1548
Abstract
Literature is an important context for the study of geography, especially in the tradition of humanistic cultural geography, because feelings of belonging, distance, migration, and return are all spatial experiences that are embodied in literary narratives. Travelogues, memoirs of migration, and novels of place are prominent examples of the connection between space and culture; works in which place is not a neutral background, but an active factor in shaping human experience. Meanwhile, contemporary urban novels show space beyond a purely narrative background and transform it into an active element in shaping meaning, lived experience, and emotion. Contemporary urban novels portray space as more than a merely narrative backdrop; rather, they transform it into an active element in the construction of meaning, lived experience, and emotion. The novel Matar ‘Ala Baghdad by the Egyptian journalist and novelist Hala al-Badri represents a prominent example of the modern Arabic urban novel, in which Baghdad is depicted as a multilayered network of spatial environments.This study employs a descriptive-analytical method grounded in the humanistic cultural geography approach and informed by Joël Bonnemasion’s spatial framework to examine three interconnected levels of space: objective space, lived space, and cultural-symbolic space. These spatial dimensions are explored through the major urban settings of Baghdad as represented in the narrative. The analysis first addresses Baghdad as a city of civilization and cultural memory, then investigates its old streets, and finally examines its markets and cafés as key public spaces shaping urban experience. The findings reveal that al-Badri consciously foregrounds public urban spaces- particularly streets and markets- to articulate their physical, experiential, and symbolic dimensions, thereby transforming objective spaces into lived places imbued with cultural meaning. However, some spaces, notably cafés, display limited spatial construction even at the objective level and fail to achieve a fully developed presence within the narrative. Overall, the study demonstrates that through its multilayered spatial representation, the novel highlights the crucial role of public spaces in the production of meaning, collective memory, and urban identity within contemporary Arabic fiction.
 
 
 

Keywords

Space and Place
Humanistic Cultural Geography
Joel Bonnemasion
Matar Ala Baghdad
Baghdad
Subjects
Al-badri, H (2010). Matar ‘ala Baghdad. Damascus: Dar al-mada for culture and publishing. [In Arabic]
Al-dhawadi, R (1998). Cafés of arab writers. Egypt: Egyptian general book authority press. [In Arabic]
Al-hajjiyah, A j (1967). Baghdadiyat: a portrait of social life and baghdad customs over a century. Baghdad: Directorate of arts and popular culture, ministry of culture and guidance. [In Arabic]
Al-husseini, A (2013). "Beautiful stations in the memory of baghdad – part three: al-rashid street, orzdy-bak, hassu brothers, and other beautiful stations". . [In Arabic]
https://algardenia.com/2014-04-04-19-52-20/menouats/6501-2013-09-22.html
Al-jabiri, N. i (2021). Iraq: the first state in history (a study on the roots of the modern iraqi state). Baghdad: Arab renaissance library for printing, publishing, and distribution. [In Arabic]
Al-kabaisi, H.A. (1979). Baghdad markets until the beginning of the buyid era. Iraqi republic: Ministry of culture and arts. [In Arabic]
Al-Shabibi, M. R (1999). Baghdad al-Qadimeh (Old Baghdad). Preface by Ibrahim Al-Wa‘iz. Beirut: Al-Dar Al-‘Arabiya lel-Mawsu‘at. [In Arabic]
Atkinson& David& Cook& Ian& Jackson& Peter, et al. (2016). Cultural geography: critical perspectives on key concepts (Translated by Marjan badiei azandahi, Fatemeh sadat mir ahmadi, & Ehsan yari shegefti). Tehran: Entekhab publishing. [In  Persian]
Baghdadi, A (2000). Baghdad in the 1920s. Baghdad: Dar al-shu’oon al-thaqafiya al-aamma.
Bonnemaison, J (2005). Culture and Space: Conceiving a New Cultural Geography. London / New York.
Fakouhi, N (2016). Urban anthropology. Tehran: Nashr-e ney. [In  Persian]
Fayadh, M (2025)." Al-bataween: the richest and most beautiful residential district of baghdad abandoned by jews and christians and left to ruin"[In Arabic]
https://www.rudawarabia.net/arabic/middleeast/iraq/190120258.
Group of researchers. (1985). The civilization of iraq. Baghdad: n.p., n.d. [In Arabic]
Jubair, M. (2013). "Literary cafés. "The title of an article from the book "Memories of Baghdad Culture", D. Ali Owaid and others. [In Arabic]
Karang, M (2011). Cultural geography (Translated by Mahdi qarkhloo). Tehran: SAMT publications. [In  Persian]
Khalid, K (2013). "Baghdad cafés: memory of time and place" .Thaqafatuna journal, Issue 12, pp. 263–265. [In Arabic]
Mirza, S.M. (2013). "A journey into the historical fragrance of baghdad’s cafés: how they were and how they are now?"  [In Arabic]
https://algardenia.com/2014-04-04-19-52-20/menou/2832-2013-01-2.htm.
Shafiq, H (2014). Baghdad in the 1970s: poetry, cafés, and bars. Beirut: Dar al-mada. [In Arabic]
Shafiq, M (2013). Cafés of baghdad. Baghdad: Ministry of culture, Dar al-shu’oon al-thaqafiya al-aamma. [In Arabic]
Smith, P.Sh. (2012). Cultural geography (Translated by Ali ahmadi). Tehran: Imam sadiq university. [In  Persian]
Send comment about this article
Enter Name.
Enter a valid email address.
Enter a vaid affiliation.
Enter comments (At leaset 10 words)
CAPTCHA Image
Enter Security Code Correctly.

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Contact Us