Erbil begins restoration of historic market
Shafaq News/ Erbil Province has launched amajor restoration project for the historic Qaysari Bazaar, which was severelydamaged in a catastrophic fire last year.
The blaze, which broke out on May 5, 2024, ravaged theiconic marketplace, destroying 227 shops and seven warehouses. Eyewitnessesdescribed the rapid spread of flames fuelled by the market's wooden structuresand flammable materials. In addition to the extensive damage, 132 individualssustained injuries, with 15 requiring hospitalization for burns and smokeinhalation.
According to Shafaq News correspondent, the reconstruction aims to restorethe market's second floor to its original 19th-century Ottoman design,replicating structures first built over 200 years ago. This upper section,partially demolished in the early 1960s, is being rebuilt using traditionalmethods to preserve its historic integrity.
On September 5, 2024, Erbil Governorate allocated 5.3billion dinars (approximately $3.6 million USD) to rehabilitate the historicmarketplace. Governor Omed Khoshnaw, speaking to a local newspaper, emphasizedthe importance of preserving the Qaysari Bazaar's cultural significance whileensuring it serves as a modern economic and tourist hub. He stated, "Themarket will be renovated at a cost of five billion and 300 million dinars. Theburned area consists of two parts, one of which is archaeological and the otheris new. The renovation had been delayed due to the financial crisis."
