Suk Al-Shiyukh
Preserving Iraq’s 18th century heritage
DHI QAR – The neighborhoods of Baghdada, Huwayza, Hadhir, and Najada form the historical core of Suk Al-Shiyukh, a city with a rich tapestry of religious and ethnic diversity across its 50 residential areas. With roots stretching deeper into history than neighboring urban centers like Numaniyah and Kut, Suk Al-Shiyukh has long served as a pivotal commercial and social hub. Historians note that Gulf traders once favored this route over Basra to connect India with Baghdad via the Euphrates River, enhancing its role during the British occupation of Iraq.
Historian Walid Khiyun describes these old districts, collectively known as “Al-Qasaba Al-Qadima,” as magnets for notable figures throughout history. Characterized by narrow alleys known as “Darabeen” and traditional “koura” brick houses, these neighborhoods have housed generations of families, with the Mandaean Sabean quarter highlighting the city’s original foundation.
“Suk Al-Shiyukh predates cities such as Kut and Amarah due to factors that made it an attractive early settlement,” Khiyun explained. The city’s four ancient quarters, including the Sabean, have been central to its history, though pinpointing the oldest remains a challenge.
Economic stability was historically underpinned by figures like the late Haj Hassan Al-Hamdani and Agha Jaafar, a Basra-based Iranian merchant with connections to the influential Ahmad Chalabi. Emad Muhammad Al-Ateeqi highlighted an 1820 document from the Al-Ateeqi family of Kuwait, illustrating that goods were transported from India to Baghdad via Suk Al-Shiyukh, bypassing Basra.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Sheikh Muhammad Hassan Al-Haidar and Hassan Al-Hamdani played crucial roles in maintaining the city’s stability, particularly during the 1920 revolution, as noted by historian Ali Al-Wardi. In 1916, Major Dixon of the British Army established a consultative council with prominent local figures, including Abbas Al-Sunaid and members of the Al-Athaim and Mandaean communities.
Muhammad Hassan Tahir Al-Musawi, a resident of the Baghdada neighborhood, reminisced about the city’s historical boundaries, marked by gates like “Al-Qawlah” that were closed at night for security. “Lutfi Street, once flanked by shops, was transformed in 1940 by a district governor who widened it, creating a new social and commercial artery,” Al-Musawi said.
Houses in these venerable neighborhoods were built with koura bricks and roofs of palm trunks or imported timber, often from India, covered with mud. “In summer, rooftops became nocturnal retreats for families, and some houses featured ‘shanashil’—traditional wooden balconies allowing women to view the streets while maintaining privacy,” Al-Musawi added.
Shanashel, an architectural feature designed with intricately carved wood and colored glass, typifies the community-oriented design of homes in Suk Al-Shiyukh, reflecting its rich historical and cultural legacy.
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