A story of the oldest Book seller in Mahabad, Iran

“Kak Shahpol” has been selling books in Mahabad for 39 years, he is one of the oldest book sellers in this city, and his love for books has also made him write.

According to the reporter of Buraq Hamim’s art news site in West Azerbaijan province , a book seller in Mahabad has been busy with his books for years and has adorned Azadi Street with a pile of books. I went to Four Roads of Azadi to see Abdullah Atashpoosh whom named “Kak Shahpol” as his nicname  and his book stall. Most of Mahabadi’s book readers knew him, a tall, middle-aged man with a calm face. It is as if he learned this peace and calm face from his books. He is the oldest book seller in Mahabad, he writes poetry and loves his work.

“Shahpol Atashpoosh”, known to book lovers as “Kak Shahpol”, opens his iron box every day. He stacks the books in different titles, new and old, inside the box to decorate the half-meter platform at the corner of Azadi street.

Street vendors have a trump card. They have books that many bookstores in the city may not have, and this is their trump card, and many of them have been kept by their loyal customers, even some of them, by giving mobile phone numbers to regular customers, find a book that someone may be looking for a long time. They had to prepare for them.

This old book seller in Mahabad city told Boraq Hamim reporter: My main job has been selling new or second-hand books for about 39 years, and I have a habit of reading books whenever I have free time, and I have read a lot of books. I have thousands of books from philosophy to history, sociology, art, literature, scientific books, Iranian and foreign novels, most of which I have read. Most of the books are old editions, but new books can also be found.

He said: “The price of old books is low, and this may be the reason why people come to him.” But I sell new print books at cover price. Historical, Kurdish and poetry books have the most buyers because they have a lot of variety and the regional conditions and being a Kurd resident where I sell books.

Kak Shahpol continued: At first, I sold photos and posters of celebrities and the great, and I started my business with 15 to 20 book covers. I went from village to village, along with posters and books, I also had local chewing gum in my backpack and traded with the villagers. Then I decided to sell my books in the city, my first choice was in front of schools. Then, I would pick them in one of the main squares of the city and collect them every evening and hand them over to the bookshop of the late Mowafaki, who was one of the first booksellers in Mahabad, and in the morning I would start the mobile bookshop again. I have been settled here at the crossroads for 39 years, and now several other book sellers have come here and are working.

 “I used to go to other cities such as Bukan, Sardasht, Piranshahr to sell books, but I have not had time for several years and I have settled for this crossroads.” He added.

Kak Shahpol said: I have written a poetry book inspired by the nature and geography of the Makarian region, which contains more than a thousand lines of poetry about the history and culture of Mahabad, and all these poems have documents and footnotes, and two translation books and the book “Kurdish Names Culture” from I have Kurdish-to-Persian and Kurdish-to-Kurdish descriptions and words that I have not been able to publish so far. I love my job very much and this profession has also helped me to pick up a pen and write, considering that I was born in a poor family and stopped going to school because of helping my father at work.        

According to the report of Boraq Hamim art news site, the work of “Kak Shah Pol” and his friends continues every day until the evening, when the peaceful crossroads falls asleep. Today, booksellers at the corner of the crossroads have given a cultural face to the city center.