Three men in keffiyehs seated on a red carpet, seen from above An old shepherd in a white headscarf beside his flock among palm trees at sunset Halftone archival portrait against a spiral pattern, from the Iraqi Theatre issue Engraved black and white face with tattoo patterns, from the DEQ special edition Clasped tattooed hands wearing silver rings Abbasid brick arches in black and white, the central arch outlined in red
Henna
Baghdad, Iraq

An independent cultural platform from Baghdad, working across publishing, art, photography, public space and cultural exchange.

Publishing remains at the core of Henna, but the platform has grown to include several interconnected initiatives.

PublishingHenna Magazine PhotographyBaghdad Photo Week Opening soonHenna House CommunityHenna Society
A Baghdad shanasheel house front against a blue sky

From Baghdad to the world.

Visitors talking at a Baghdad Photo Week exhibition
Henna MagazineThe latest issue
Henna Magazine cover, Iraqi Theatre: a sepia profile portrait on red
No. 04 — July 2026

Iraqi Theatre

Sepia studio portrait in profile, the cover image

Henna Magazine turns to the stage and the people who built Iraqi theatre, told through archive photographs and new writing.

Issue
04
Published
July 2026, Baghdad
Print
USD 15
Or email info@hennamagazine.netOrder a print copy
Archival group photograph of actors, from the issue
InsideHaqqi Al-Shibli and the making of Iraqi theatre
LibraryHenna Magazine issues
Iraqi Theatre, Issue 04, July 2026
No. 03
Water Archives

Coming soon

DEQ special edition, February 2025 Resilience and Renaissance of Iraqi Art, Issue 01

Library

All issues →

Iraqi Theatre (No. 04, Jul 2026) · Water Archives (No. 03, coming soon) · DEQ (special edition, Feb 2025) · Resilience and Renaissance of Iraqi Art (No. 01, Jun 2024)

StoriesFrom the magazine
Halftone archival portrait against a spiral pattern
Iraqi Theatre — No. 04

Haqqi Al-Shibli and the making of Iraqi theatre

The founder of the theatre department at the Institute of Fine Arts, and the generation of actors and directors he trained.

Read the story →
Spread, pages 16 and 17
From the magazine and onlineAll stories →
Exhibition of Iraqi Posters leaflet and posters, National Gallery of Modern Art, Baghdad
Essay — No. 01, pp. 52–53

The Baghdad Poster Exhibition 1979 and the Development of Poster Art in Iraq

Read the story →

How Dia al-Azzawi’s project brought Iraqi, Arab and international graphic artists together, first in London and then in Baghdad.

Text: Mysa Kafil-Hussain
Images: Archive
Page 53 of the poster exhibition essay
Baghdad Photo WeekAn annual festival by Henna Magazine
A man on a horse at the edge of the sea. Photograph by Tanya Traboulsi, cover of the second edition
Iraq’s leading photography event, by Henna Magazine

Baghdad Photo Week

Photo: Tanya Traboulsi
A visitor in front of a wall of colour photographs, second edition
Second edition · 20–25 December 2025

“Water”

20 photographers from Iraq, the Middle East and the world at The Gallery, Baghdad. Talks, a masterclass, portfolio reviews and an evening for the pioneers.

The 20 artists, programme and newspaper →
The first edition at The Gallery, Baghdad
First edition · December 2024

“Forgotten”

Honouring Ibn Al-Haytham, inventor of the camera obscura, with a tribute to Nadhim Ramzi and Hadi Al-Najjar.

The edition and its 13 artists →
Front pages of the Baghdad Photo Week newspaper The newspaper · second edition

Read the festival newspaper

The press release, the curatorial statement, the full programme, the artists and the jury, in English and Arabic.

Leaf through or download →
Henna House · Henna SocietySpace and community
Henna House: a candle drawn in blue and pink blocks
Opening soon

Henna House

Henna’s cultural space in Baghdad. A café, books and publications, exhibitions and events, all under one roof.

Café · Books and publications · Exhibitions · Events

Community programme

Henna Society

Henna’s more informal and community-facing programme: photo walks, workshops, gatherings and cultural activities around art, photography and the city.

Society events →
Henna Society members on a Baghdad street at night
Si’luwa Hunt: a motorcyclist passes an old shanasheel house at night Photo walk · Halloween 2025

Si’luwa Hunt

On Halloween, Henna Society walked the city of Baghdad looking for Si’luwa: alleys, riverbanks, rooftops, even the corners where old stories sleep.

Start the hunt → A blurred figure walking past old arches at night. Photograph by Muhannad Abboud
Events

No upcoming events right now. Follow @henna.magazine for announcements.