Mosul bread vendor keeps tradition alive on Old Bridge

NINEVEH — Every winter morning, 15-year-old Azzam Saddam sets up his bread stand on Mosul’s Old Bridge, where visitors feed seagulls and enjoy a time-honored local ritual. For Azzam, selling bread is not just a means to earn a living—it is a cherished tradition that delights tourists and ensures the seagulls return year after year.

Azzam, who has worked at the same spot for three years, buys loaves from a local bakery and sells them for 250 dinars (about $0.17) each. Winter is his busiest season, when flocks of seagulls gather near the Tigris River, creating a bustling scene that attracts locals and tourists alike.

“I buy bread from the bakery, and people come here to feed the seagulls while I earn a living,” Azzam told 964media. “Visitors come from all over Mosul and other governorates, even tourists. I chose this bridge because it’s always busy, and everyone comes here to feed the birds.”

A typical day for Azzam starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. He recalls that the idea to sell bread emerged when he used to feed the seagulls himself, a habit that evolved into a business after he left school in the third grade.

“The idea came when I used to feed the seagulls myself,” he said. “So I decided to buy bread and sell it here. I left school in third grade and started working on the streets to earn a living.”

The simple act of feeding seagulls has become a ritual for many. Ali Hussein, a resident of Duhok who frequents Mosul, praised the tradition.

“We always come to Mosul and take a walk on the Old Bridge,” Hussein said. “We buy bread from the vendors and feed the seagulls. It helps the boy selling bread, and we also feel good feeding the birds.”

Hussein noted that visitors from Duhok, Anbar, and even foreign tourists regularly participate in the tradition. “The Old Bridge is dear to us—it’s the oldest bridge in Mosul,” he said. “Standing here, watching the seagulls, is a beautiful feeling. Mosul is a city of peace, and that’s why the seagulls are always here.”