ABU-EL-SAAD
THE lane in the jewish quarter of baghdad through which we used to go to the Alliance School.
The shops from left to right.
" Charakh khashab " A carpenter whose tool is a kind of lathe , made with a bow with a leather belt and the belt encircles a wooden pole which is to be molded. The wooden pole is fixed between two pins used as pivots. By moving the bow back and forth the wooden pole turns too and the carpenter with a chisel molds the wooden pole to different forms.
He used to manufacture all kind of Arabesque forms to make banisters, spinnig tops, wooden swings, etc
" Abu el Ambah " The Mango pickle shop, selling bread filled with Mango pickles ( Mango pikles sandwitches ), " Samoun wo Ambah " as a special treat to VIP customers the shop owner used to plunge the whole sandwitch in the Mango juice bowel. !!!!!!!!
" Abu el Fiussah " The Tarbush pressor shop, his tools were copper moulds heated by petrol burner, the Tarbush was placed over the mould then covered by female mould and pressed.
On the right side of the lane, stands a man with a " Sandouq el welayat " Global Magic Box. The boxe's front side is narrow and there are three big lenses fixed on three sides of the box. The box contains a scroll with pictures lighted by a lantern . The man turns the scroll and narrates a story about each picture :-
" Behold O peace upon you, this is the turkish Mahdiah over the bench she is lying, in order to share a hubble buble with her it will cost a thousand and one hundred "
" Behold O peace upon you, this is Istanbul with its towers and castles ."
" Behold O peace upon you, this is a german gun........ "
BEHOLD O BROTHER-MOSLEMS THIS IS THE SULTAN Of SULTANS HIS CHEST IS DECORATED WITH MEDALS.
LOOK AT THE CAT AND TOMCAT, THE ELEPHENT AND THE RHINOCEROS.
BEHOLD THE BEDOUIN LADY PREPARING " JALLAH " ( Fuel made from calf dung)
HE LEFT FOR HILLAH TOWN TO SOAK BEANS.
IN HIS HANDS TOMATO, WALKING AND SINGING TO THE TEMPO OF HIS FARTING.
( Beans known to cause gazez, in french they describe them as the piano of the poor, Piano des pauvre.)
The above section in color contributed by Dr. Y. Shirazi.
while we children watch through the lenses. This was the cinema of the times for us.
