Baghdad's heritage in danger
Audio 02:30
An Iraqi walks to the Souk al-Safafir, specializing in artisanal products, in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on August 27, 2020. AFP - SABAH ARAR
By: Lucile Wassermann Follow
6 mins
Is the historic heart of Baghdad in danger of disappearing?
In this multi-thousand-year-old city, there is already little left of the extremely rich heritage that its inhabitants once knew.
After decades of conflict and government mismanagement, the city's historic buildings are now dilapidated, when they do not threaten to simply collapse.
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The historic souks of this district are also threatened: certain know-how specific to Iraqi culture, such as boilermaking, are gradually dying, for lack of tourism and support from the authorities.
Without protection, the old city of Baghdad gradually perishes, and with it, a whole part of the Iraqi identity.
The pounding of steel was once so loud that it was difficult to talk to each other in "the Safafeer souk", "the boilermakers' market", in the heart of Baghdad. In the narrow alleys of this bazaar, only a dozen craftsmen still strike the metal between the carpet sellers. Nazem Hassan, 84, is one of them. He has a soft look and dusty clothes, too big for his puny body. “
Today, most of the stalls sell fabric. There are only 10 to 5 boilermakers left here. And if someone comes to buy me something, it's to give a gift.
"
This Iraqi know-how dates from the Abbasid era.
When Nazem started this craft in the 1950s, locals still bought these artifacts for their functionality.
“
The world has developed using new methods.
Now everything is electric, but before, people washed their clothes with special containers that we made.
Everyone used lanterns and candles for lighting.
"
Dilapidated buildings
The slow disappearance of this know-how is symptomatic of a wider neglect of Baghdad's cultural heritage.
Right next to the souk on al-Rasheed Street, dozens of traditional buildings threaten to collapse.
They date from before 1930 but have never been protected or renovated.
Hussein is the owner in one of them. He uses the ground floor as a shop but no longer accesses the upper floor, the place is so dilapidated. Only the government can undertake renovations of these listed buildings. “
We went to the authorities and asked them to renovate the facade of the building to restore it as it is. They told us that it was not authorized, that we had to get their green light. They told us "
wait a year or two, until you get an authorization
".
"
He does not know how long the structure will hold, which is now oblique.
Regardless of the danger, he saddens the loss this collapse will mean for Iraqi identity.
“
This building is historic, it is almost 70 years old, the whole building is part of the heritage: the windows are made of wood, and there are a lot of beautiful things inside, but unfortunately all of this is ignored by the government.
"
Contacted by RFI, the Baghdad governorate office affirms that a new committee is being set up to protect these historic buildings.
But as long as no action is taken, the city's heritage will continue to gradually disappear.
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Iraq
Culture
Heritage
Arts and crafts
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