We don’t often visit the big bazar
but when we do I’m always amazed by all the beauty of it.
The Qaysari Bazaar is the oldest bazaar of
Erbil. It’s located in the center of Erbil and the city is built around it. The
bazaar lies next to the citadel, which can be dated back to 5th millennium
BC but it’s probably even older than that. The walls of the big bazaar are the
original walls dating back from the 13th century. It must be said
that the walls have recently been renovated and that has brought the old
features and patterns back, which are beautiful.
The name Qaysari comes from the
word ‘Saray’, which is an Ottoman term for castle, palace or government
building. This word did not only refer to the citadel but also to the
government building located next to the bazar.
Last Saturday I took a walk through
the bazaar with my mother. My mother was born in the Teyrawa district of Erbil,
which is very close to the Bazaar. On our walk, she showed me the way to the
Hamam where she used to go. There a lady would wash her hair. She also shares
her memories of her father’s printing shop in the bazaar. “When I was young,
the city only consisted of the citadel and the bazaar.” She said. “Due to its
location, business men from Iraq or Turkey would stop by our shop or the bazaar.”
The bazar used to have different parts. Each
part would sell different items. One only fruits, others only clothes. This is
a bit changed during time but most goldsmiths are still located in one area.
The bazar is so big that you can get lost in it for hours. The bazar is mostly
indoors and it’s therefore cool in the summer.
Almost everything can be found in
the bazaar. From fresh Kurdish yoghurt and local produced walnuts to shoes,
clothes and gold. The reason I went to the bazaar last Saturday was because I
wanted to repair my bag. I asked around and only a few minutes later I found an
old man, fixing shoes, sitting in front of a mosque. He had fled Mosul last
year, hadn’t seen his family since. Erbil and its bazaar have taken him in and
he’s happy making his money here.
To me
that’s the beauty of the bazaar. When you walk through it, you can still feel
and see all the authentic cultural beauties from all these different cultures. Erbil
has been a safe-haven to so many different ethnicities and that for centuries
long.
