Engineer opens antique shop to preserve city’s cultural heritage

MOSUL — A Mosul engineer has turned his lifelong passion for collecting antiques into a project aimed at preserving and sharing the city’s rich heritage.

Rafea Al-Jaqmaqji, 69, opened an antique shop in Hammam Al-Manqousha, in partnership with his cousin, after years spent gathering handmade artifacts and sculptures dating back between 30 and 100 years.

Al-Jaqmaqji said the shop, located on Al-Farouq Street, is driven more by a desire to raise cultural awareness than by profit. “We decided to open a shop to teach people and young generations about the love for global, Iraqi, and Mosuli heritage,” he told 964media.

The collection includes copper items such as basins and trays, handicrafts primarily from Baghdad and Mosul, and Arab and European artifacts. The shop also features sculptures crafted from wood and glass, crystal materials, and vintage audio devices — many still operational.

“The items range in age from 30 years to more than 100 years, and most are personal belongings, with some offered for sale by local families,” Al-Jaqmaqji said.

Prices start at about 5,000 Iraqi dinars ($3.45) and can reach up to 300,000 dinars ($207), with rare pieces exceeding one million dinars ($690) depending on craftsmanship, age, and size.

The shop has become a destination for heritage enthusiasts and tourists alike. “Many segments of society and tourists visit us because of the shop’s vibrant location,” he said, noting that foreign visitors have praised the collection and purchased several items.