After a three-year closure, the Saffarin market in Mosul is reopening

Ahmed al-Dabbagh-Mosul

After undergoing extensive reconstruction, the Saffarin market in the old city of Mosul in the northern province of Nineveh reopened to merchants and customers three years after it was closed as a result of the destruction inflicted during the 2016-17 Mosul liberation war from ISIS.

Old Mosul is located on the western side of Mosul, an ancient area overlooking the Tigris River that houses ancient neighborhoods and wholesale markets. It sits within an area of ​​about four square kilometers and is home to the Great Nuri Mosque and its hunchback lighthouse.

The yolk market is famous for the manufacture of cooking utensils and metal decorations, and its metal craftsmen use copper and aluminum (favon) and its name is linked to the metal copper, which is called locally (zero) and is one of the oldest markets in Mosul.

The return of life
"I was the first to return to the Saffarin market in the old city of Mosul a year from now," said Fadhel Abbas al-Saffar, a shop owner. "I prepared a local reconstruction and opened it to encourage other merchants to come back."

He adds that his ancestors opened a shop in the market of Saffarin in 1800 and that it continued to expand until the start of the battle of Mosul in 2016, which referred him to the rubble, and that the official announcement of its modern opening came after the completion of the municipality of Mosul, paving his alleys and providing him with water and electricity.

Some shopkeepers returning to the market have returned to the market, but many others remain closed pending the reconstruction of Mosul bridges.

Rabih Hamed, a resident of Mosul, sees the old markets of Mosul as a strong indication of the return of life to the city, and that the opening of its doors and its return to its previous era is proof that Mosul has passed the stage of war, and says that the reopening of the markets successively will encourage traders to return to their activity.

Great efforts
The director of Mosul Municipality, Radwan al-Shahwani, said that his directorate was able to recover hundreds of thousands of tons of rubble from the old city to restore life, and that the cadres of the municipality is working at an accelerated pace to pave the roads and extend the infrastructure of markets, and it uses the efforts of residents and traders in the reconstruction of their shops.

He added that the past weeks witnessed the transfer of 14 projects and the rehabilitation of the main roads such as Aleppo Street, Farouk, the Great Mosque, Clock, Justice and others, as well as the referral of the second and third bridges for reconstruction, and work on the preparation of the bridges of the fifth and fourth bridges for later reconstruction.

Mosuli activist Omar al-Salem believes that the government was delayed - more than two years after the liberation of Mosul - in the reconstruction of the old city, which was the kiss of Mosulis and nearby provinces in shopping.

"The government should have taken advantage of the reconstruction of the old city of Mosul and made it a tourist destination and the restoration of Bashtabiya castle and houses that are more than 300 years old. There are countries working to build a heritage and civilization from scratch and use it to provide jobs and economic gains," he said. Mosul, despite its depth of civilization, all its heritage and old markets lack the necessary attention. "

Year of departure
Khalaf al-Hadidi, head of the Nineveh Provincial Council's Strategic Planning Committee, describes the year as the real start in the reconstruction of Mosul, and says the council has allocated 42 billion dinars (about $ 35.21 million) for the reconstruction of the Mosul district center.

Al-Hadidi revealed to Al Jazeera Net that his council agreed with Anababatat Organization (UNHABITAT) to start implementing a housing project in the old city of Mosul. .