Zubair's Souq Al-Banat
Basra market transforms over the years to meet changing demands
ZUBAIR — During the 1970s and 1980s, the famous “Souq Al-Banat” market, located in Basra’s Zubair district, played a crucial role in providing access to rare goods, sourcing them either through smuggling networks or via visitors from neighboring Kuwait. The market offered everything from American cigarettes and perfumes to VCRs, bananas, and original Pepsi drinks. At the time, foreign products were rarely if ever available in Iraq.
Gradually, the market evolved and began facilitating exports of Iraqi products to other countries, supported by deep-rooted family connections between the people of Zubair and those in Saudia Arabia and Kuwait.
Today, bridal shops and beauty salons have taken over the market, adapting to the changing needs of the community and reflecting a shift in the region’s economic landscape.
Adnan Abu Khalid, a shop owner in Zubair, explained the market’s historical significance: “This market has been here since the 1920s. Back then, it included restaurants and shops selling women’s clothing with designs from the Gulf, reflecting the deep-rooted family connections between the people of Zubair and the regions of Najd, Hejaz, and Kuwait.”
Noting the market’s new identity, he remarked, “The street has changed a lot.”
Many properties in the area are still owned by people who have moved to the Gulf. Some are managed by agents who collect rents while others have left their properties in the care of other locals. “I myself have been entrusted with three houses,” Abu Khalid said. “This is the case for many people from Zubair.”
These ties continue to play a crucial role in the community. Abu Abd Al-Rahman, a supermarket owner, spoke of his emotional connection to the market, saying, “My relationship with the customers spans 30 years.”
The Gulf’s influence still dominates the market, evident in the clothing designs, from Gulf-style abayas to perfumes, cosmetics, Gulf incense, and even Kuwaiti Ragag bread and sweets like Saydawi, Nasr, Darabeel, and Ma’booch.
Omar Hamed, a local resident, reminisces, “I remember buying Rothmans American cigarettes here in the 70s that came from Kuwait, as well as cowboy jeans. This market was a destination for people from Basra and nearby provinces because it offered goods not found elsewhere.”