Central Baghdad areas, such as Karrada, Dora, Mansour and Yarmouk, as well as the main cafes and public sites, witness heavy crowds and a heavy presence of citizens, whether for a picnic after breakfast, or until the early hours of dawn, in addition to the fact that many mosques remain open.
The source of this is the security stability that the city is witnessing, and the security forces were able to clamp down on ISIS members and the mild weather, in addition to the rehabilitation work that took place during the past months in a number of important sites.
In the city of Karrada, in the center of the capital, Baghdad, where its streets are decorated with flyers welcoming the holy month, many residents of the surrounding areas come to it, because of its beautiful atmosphere and the presence of many restaurants, cafes, and ice cream shops, as well as gardens overlooking on the Tigris River.
Young Ihab al-Shammari, a resident of the capital, said that “after breakfast, most young people go to cafes and casinos overlooking the Tigris River, to have hot or cold drinks, in addition to playing domino or something else.”
The Iraqi youth added, in an interview with “Sky News Arabia”, that “the atmosphere in the capital is witnessing severe congestion, despite the political strife and the delay in forming the government, as we seek to get out of this crucible and forget the residents of the Green Zone and their problems.”
And he points out that “Ramadan this year has another taste, due to the lack of infections with the Corona virus, and the moderation of the weather as well, in light of the temperatures that were witnessed in previous seasons.”
As for the Mansour area, which is one of the high-end neighborhoods that includes large clothing stores, and has a number of commercial centers and malls, as well as the recently opened Lebanese restaurants, as this area represents a favorite destination for those wishing to shop and provide Ramadan needs, such as food and daily necessities, as well as For the presence of a number of beautiful cafes and locations.
During the past months, most areas of Baghdad witnessed some rehabilitation, cladding, untangling, and organizing streets, but this was not enough, and was limited to a certain number of areas.
The citizen, Muhammad al-Jubouri (39 years), a market owner in the Mansour area, believes that “the security situation is stable, and there is clear monitoring by the authorities of the situation, in light of the presence of huge numbers of citizens, who enter and leave on a daily basis to the city,” noting that “What distinguishes this Ramadan season is the almost complete exit from the repercussions of the Corona virus, and the lack of government measures in this regard, although this is not completely healthy.”
Rising prices
And whether the rise in prices in general affected the movement of shopping, Al-Jubouri believes, in a comment to “Sky News Arabia”, that “the turnout has already weakened, but not significantly, especially since commercial centers and malls are intended for people with good incomes, and they were not greatly affected by the crisis.” food”.
On Al-Mutanabi Street, the most famous cultural site in the capital, Baghdad, where bookstores are lined up on its sides, its lights stay on all night long, and it receives passersby and those who want to sit in the various cafes there, after a reconstruction campaign carried out by independent parties in cooperation with the Municipality of Baghdad.
A few weeks ago, the street, famous for its libraries, opened, after a restoration it underwent, allowing it to restore some of its former glory.
The street is usually crowded on Fridays with pioneers, especially students and youth, as well as artists and intellectuals of the previous generation.
In 1932, during the reign of King Faisal I, the historical street was named after the famous poet Abu al-Tayyib al-Mutanabbi (915 – 965), who was born during the Abbasid state.
And the Baghdad Municipality has taken a decision to keep the street, its lights and its libraries open until late at night, while creating the appropriate conditions for that.
On the other hand, a number of mosques remain open until late at night, until dawn, when they receive their worshipers and those wishing to visit them, especially important mosques such as the Abdul Qadir al-Kilani and Abu Hanifa al-Numan Mosque in the Adhamiya area. To open at the time of Suhoor, while some of them provide meals for the worshipers.
The Iraqi government has eased preventive measures to confront the Corona virus, such as curfews and the imposition of wearing masks in public places, in light of the decrease in the number of people infected with this virus, as the Ministry of Health recorded only 266 infections, Monday.
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