“When we first came to this place to renovate the clock, it was abandoned and cluttered with litter and wreckage. So we decided to renovate the whole site. We brought a certain type of brick called ‘farshi’ from the province of Karbala, since it suits the general environment of the this place and preserves the familiar aspect of such historical sites,” he said.
“Our project is to establish gardens on the site and transform a part of its buildings into an antique market that features traditional items, paintings, rugs and more. It will open the door for people to look around and encourage economic activity. The project also involves establishing restaurants of different cuisines such as Turkish, Iranian, Moroccan, Lebanese, Egyptian and the list goes on. We want to offer Iraqis the variety they seek during their visit to this site,” said Razzak.
“In addition to a rich cultural variety, we want to create economic activity, for without it, neither this place nor any other would be able to provide for itself. If we keep waiting for annual budgets that probably do not allocate any amount for such projects, the chances for these places to successfully remain active are very limited,” he added.
Speaking about the cost, the governor said: “I can say that the cost of renovating the clock tower was less than $60,000, while the other costs are variable because the work is still in progress.”
Mahdi al-Hafez, the former minister of planning, said while walking around the site. “This project is very important to the history of Iraq, and its future as well. These historical sites should be rehabilitated since they constitute a part of the treasures and culture of this country.” Hafez considers this initiative highly important and believes that it is gaining much needed attention from the relevant authorities.
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