Background:

The Khan Murjan is a building located in the souq of Baghdad, Iraq. It was built in the 14th century as a caravanserai and it is considered by many historians and scholars to be a notable piece of the city’s architecture. The structure was in poor shape for over two centuries, but was restored in the mid 1980s and subsequently functioned as a restaurant. As of 2018, a Google guide by the username ‘MO7HO7FR Azawie’ claimed that the structure is open but neglected and deserted.

Side A:

It is well known that there exists a beautiful old caravanserai in Baghdad, the Khan Murjan. The structure is enormous, boasting two floors. The outside is decorated with beautiful Islamic calligraphy. The entrance, which is about two and half meters wide, is a very impressive Abbasid style design. Past the entrance are stairs leading down a into a colossal open space about 25 meters high. The structure appears medieval. 

There are many people sitting at tables and lots of loud singing. People in traditional clothes serve food and drinks. The Khan Murjan used to be a caravanserai, but nowadays it is a restaurant. 

An Egyptian man inside by the name of Ahmed said that the caravanserai was build in 1695 by an Egyptian entrepreneur, Amīn al-Dīn Murjān, and that it used to be a travel lodge. In Ahmed’s imagination the caravanserai must have been more boisterous in ancient times. Music fills the air and people are dancing and clapping their hands. They would take each other’s hands and raise them in the air and after that they would stand in a circle and clap. This how people celebrate in Iraq. Everything is here, music, food and drinks. 

Ahmed said that there were various delegations of Arab nations staying in Baghdad for the Babel festival to be held in the following days. He said that the people present in the caravanserai were writers, song writers, singers and poets, and that they were celebrating being reunited with each other.

Also present is an Iraqi man. He said that delegations of eight Arab countries for the Union of Arab Photographers were also present in the caravanserai. The eight countries represented were: Iraq, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, and Syria. Then the Iraqi man asked about what kind of music the musicians were making. However, instead of answering the question, the Iraqi man begins speaking political rhetoric. He said that he is a very happy man because he loves Iraq and that America is very bad. He also claimed that the children in Iraq are angry because of the USA and the UK. The Iraqi man was asked the same question again and then he answered it by saying that music is for Arab people “food for their hearts.” 

A second man joined the conversation and said that most of the music they play are old folk songs. According to this man, music should be suitable for dancing and he claimed that the lyrics are not important; it is all about the music and the experience. He said that music should bring people into a comforting environment where they can get rid of all the troubles they meet in daily life. On the subject of the Khan Murjan, the second man claimed that the caravanserai was built in 1388, and that there were originally 28 rooms for the rich and wealthy. The poor would sleep on the floor in the open space, but during day time the open space was used for trade and business. The caravans came to Khan Murjan from all over Asia: Syria, China, Iraq and India. The man finished by saying that the Babel festival will start in three days. 

There were many kinds of people with different backgrounds inside the caravanserai. Also, the caravanserai was full of reporters who were preparing themselves for the Babel festival. Although, Iraq is an Arab and Islamic country Martins V.V.O. and Dutch Bavaria beer were served to the guests. This can be considered strange since, at the time, Iraq had been under embargo and boycott for quite a while.

One of the musicians explained what instruments they were using. First the musician showed a small drum with the Arabic name ‘tabla’ and he played some notes on it. Then his companion showed an instrument which looks fairly like a medieval lute. This instrument is called in Arabic the ‘oud’, and the musician also provided a demonstration of it.

Side B:

After a small break, the music returns, and the audience begins to dance again. According to the man we met earlier at the caravanserai, the dance they were dancing was a traditional dance from the north of Iraq. The man claimed that the dance is more than a couple of centuries old, originating in the mountains where the Kurds live. He said that three different ethnic groups dance this dance. Those groups are 1: The Christians living near the Tigris and Euphrates, 2: The Kurds in the mountains, and 3: The Yazidis which the man described as devil worshipers. He stated that this dance is the only small piece of unity existing in the north of Iraq. 

The evening at last finished, and the bill arrived . The bill was 18 thousand Iraqi dinars. 64 bills of 250 dinars. It seemed to be such large a sum of money. 18 thousand Iraqi dinars equals only 17 Dutch guilders (about 10 USD). 10 Years ago, 6 Dutch guilders (3.20 USD) equaled 1 Iraqi dinar, now 250 Iraqi dinars is not even worth a quarter. Iraq has been exposed to high inflation, and that is one of the clear consequences of the embargo. Even the money itself looks worthless. Saddam Hussein is on one side and on the other side is a picture of the liberation square. There is no watermark or any other security features, its ordinary paper. People will not gain anything out of it by forging the money because it’s worthless. On the other hand, there are stories going around that the CIA has printed and distributed piles of dinars to destroy the Iraqi economy. The situation in Iraq is stable, but inflation is present.

After the bill was paid, Ahmed, the Egyptian, showed Kees and company one of the 28 bedrooms in the caravanserai. The room was still decorated like it was in the 17^th century, except for the air-conditioning unit on the wall. The walls were decorated with carpets and on the floor were carpets too. In the corner were some copper items that according to Ahmed were original items from the 17^th century. Then Ahmed showed Kees and guests one of the smaller rooms. The room was about three meters by three meters and is used now as a souvenir shop where they sell a variety of silverwork, old watches and other trinkets. Most probably, people are selling their own personal belongings to get by in these economically difficult times.