Saad al-Khafaji is a teacher from the city of Karbala, just south of Baghdad. He enjoys shopping and walking in this market buzzing with goods and people. He told Al-Monitor, “I enjoy visiting the market. This market has become a social and tourist destination. It is not only visited for shopping; some go there to spend time, meet people and check out new goods.”
Walking around in Shorja is not exactly a walk in the park. This famous market, which has long been neglected, suffers a dearth of services. The lack of security and poor infrastructure in and around the market has resulted in explosions, fires and floods.
Baghdad Mayor Thikra Mohammed Jaber Alloush visited the market on April 1 and pointed out the low level of services. She emphasized the need for attention to this market as a historical landmark for the city of Baghdad.
Many believe Shorja is more than just a market. Qusai Jawad, a merchant who owns a warehouse there, described it as a barometer of political, economic and social stability in Iraq. “A rise of prices in Shorja indicates a disturbed political and security situation," he said. "The large number of visitors and their facial expressions are indicators of social stability. In times of political and security unrest, the market becomes empty of shoppers and visitors, and the contrary is true.”
Jawad added, “Governments in Iraq are aware of this. In the era of the Baath Party regime, a friend of mine worked with the government in the market. He was assigned to send in daily reports depicting the general mood of the people in the market.”
Comments are closed.