Young craftsman keeps clay oven tradition alive in Diyala

DIYALA — Mohammad Mousa Kazem, a young craftsman in his twenties from Najaf, continues practicing the traditional craft of making and installing clay ovens, a skill he learned from his uncle as a child. His family, known as “Malik Shaba’,” is one of the few in Najaf and Kufa still preserving this heritage.

964media met Mohammad in the Al-Mafraq neighborhood in central Baquba, Diyala governorate, where he was installing a clay oven crafted at his family’s workshop in Najaf’s Al-Jami’a neighborhood. The ovens are made from a special clay sourced from the Bahr al-Najaf area, known for its durability and heat resistance.

“This profession was passed down from my uncle, and we are one of the old families in this field. We’ve become well known in Najaf and Kufa,” Mohammad told 964media.

He said the family regularly travels to install ovens in cities across Iraq. “We go out to install clay ovens in different cities and governorates including Basra, Amarah, Nasiriyah, Ramadi, and Diyala.”

“We make the ovens ourselves at our private workshop in Al-Jami’a using clay from Bahr al-Najaf. Today we are installing a clay oven in the Al-Mafraq area of Baquba in Diyala governorate,” he said.

Mohammad said he did not finish school and has worked in the craft from a young age alongside his father and uncles. “It’s a job that provides me with a decent income.”

He noted that few people remain in the profession today. “We, the Malik Shaba’ family, are one of only three families in Najaf still working in this craft.”

He said installation costs vary by location. “The cost of preparing and installing an oven in Diyala today ranges between 400,000 to 450,000 dinars (about $284 to $319).”

Mohammad also mentioned the physical risks associated with the work. “The profession involves some dangers, especially during transport. I’ve previously been injured on the job.”