In a time of ephemeral internet fads and mass manufacturing, a modest Baghdad shop in the city center is winning hearts all over the globe with its quiet passion for a single, enduring object — the pencil. Only recently highlighted around the world through social media, this modest shop contains what could be the biggest private collection of pencils in the world, a staggering one million pencils.
How a hidden pencil shop in Baghdad became a global sensation
The history of how this incredible shop became known to the public starts with Indian content creator Ankita Kumari, who chronicled her surprising experience in a very popular Instagram video. Initially misled by an ambiguous online mention, Ankita thought the shop was in Tehran, Iran. Following a futile search there, her persistence was rewarded when she finally tracked the collection to Baghdad, Iraq. What she discovered surpassed all expectations — a store like no other, where pencils are not only writing tools but also art, memory, and history.
The store is the life's work of Ali Al Mandlawi, a devoted collector who has spent more than 40 years collecting pencils from across the world. Far more than a store, the building is a living museum. Ali’s devotion is evident not only in the sheer volume of his collection but in the order and care with which each item is preserved. According to Ankita, Ali possesses an encyclopedic memory of his collection’s layout, knowing precisely where each of the million pencils resides.
His interest in collecting started decades back, and the shop over the years has quietly transformed into a refuge for those who understand craftsmanship, nostalgia, and the elegance of common objects raised to levels beyond the ordinary by sheer devotion.
A pencil store turned living art installation
What distinguishes this store is not merely the size of its inventory but the visual sense with which it is presented. The walls and ceilings are lined with pencils in tasteful patterns. The pointed ends create elaborate geometric patterns, some curling into flowers, others looking like mandalas or starbursts. These design arrangements make the store a feast for the eyes, taking what might have otherwise been a mess of an archive and turning it into a show of shapes and textures.
Travelers routinely refer to the area as being a cross between an art installation and a stationery shop — a place where creativity is served up in its most analog, pure form against craftsmanship.
60-year-old pencil becomes a viral symbol of craftsmanship
In the Instagram video uploaded at @monkey.inc, Ankita's sense of awe is inescapable. Her wandering around the store is captured in warmth and joy, ending with a tender dialogue with Ali, who assures us that his hoard is some one million pencils strong. In a token of hospitality and appreciation, Ali hands Ankita an antique pencil which is 60 years old — a physical symbol of passion transcending culture.
Since its posting, the video has resonated widely, accumulating over 1.9 million views and thousands of comments. Viewers have praised both Ali’s extraordinary memory and Ankita’s genuine excitement. Many were particularly taken with the shop’s intricate pencil art, which turns an everyday tool into something mesmerizing and magical.
Also Read | 10 snakes that burrow underground from sand boas to black headed pythons
How a hidden pencil shop in Baghdad became a global sensation
The history of how this incredible shop became known to the public starts with Indian content creator Ankita Kumari, who chronicled her surprising experience in a very popular Instagram video. Initially misled by an ambiguous online mention, Ankita thought the shop was in Tehran, Iran. Following a futile search there, her persistence was rewarded when she finally tracked the collection to Baghdad, Iraq. What she discovered surpassed all expectations — a store like no other, where pencils are not only writing tools but also art, memory, and history.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHkgh6Xortd/ https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHkgh6Xortd/
The store is the life's work of Ali Al Mandlawi, a devoted collector who has spent more than 40 years collecting pencils from across the world. Far more than a store, the building is a living museum. Ali’s devotion is evident not only in the sheer volume of his collection but in the order and care with which each item is preserved. According to Ankita, Ali possesses an encyclopedic memory of his collection’s layout, knowing precisely where each of the million pencils resides.
His interest in collecting started decades back, and the shop over the years has quietly transformed into a refuge for those who understand craftsmanship, nostalgia, and the elegance of common objects raised to levels beyond the ordinary by sheer devotion.
A pencil store turned living art installation
What distinguishes this store is not merely the size of its inventory but the visual sense with which it is presented. The walls and ceilings are lined with pencils in tasteful patterns. The pointed ends create elaborate geometric patterns, some curling into flowers, others looking like mandalas or starbursts. These design arrangements make the store a feast for the eyes, taking what might have otherwise been a mess of an archive and turning it into a show of shapes and textures.
Travelers routinely refer to the area as being a cross between an art installation and a stationery shop — a place where creativity is served up in its most analog, pure form against craftsmanship.
60-year-old pencil becomes a viral symbol of craftsmanship
In the Instagram video uploaded at @monkey.inc, Ankita's sense of awe is inescapable. Her wandering around the store is captured in warmth and joy, ending with a tender dialogue with Ali, who assures us that his hoard is some one million pencils strong. In a token of hospitality and appreciation, Ali hands Ankita an antique pencil which is 60 years old — a physical symbol of passion transcending culture.
Since its posting, the video has resonated widely, accumulating over 1.9 million views and thousands of comments. Viewers have praised both Ali’s extraordinary memory and Ankita’s genuine excitement. Many were particularly taken with the shop’s intricate pencil art, which turns an everyday tool into something mesmerizing and magical.
Also Read | 10 snakes that burrow underground from sand boas to black headed pythons
You may also like
Wayne Rooney suggests Declan Rice's pre-match demand showed Arsenal didn't understand PSG
Molly-Mae Hague confronted by sister over Tommy Fury reunion in new reality show trailer
On May 29, group captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be first Indian astronaut to fly to ISS
Coventry fire: Massive blaze rips through abandoned Henley College building
Spice Girls 'finally reunite as group secretly plans world tour without one star'
