Majid Salim, a knife vendor in Sulaymaniyah. (Photo: 964media)
Sulaymaniyah
79-year-old knife vendor supports family through decades-long trade
SULAYMANIYAH– At 79, Majid Salim still sets out his knives on a small table near Sulaymaniyah’s Grand Mosque each day, relying on modest sales to support himself and his family.
Known locally as Mam Majid, Salim has worked in the knife trade for more than 35 years. He told 964media he began by walking through different parts of Sulaymaniyah, including Piramagrun, Bazyan and Bakrajo, selling his goods door to door before eventually settling at his current spot by the mosque.
In recent years he has faced age-related health problems, including partial paralysis in several fingers after a stroke, but he continues to work daily.
Salim said he has no alternative source of income and only recently returned to his stall. He earns between 5,000 and 10,000 Iraqi dinars ($3 to $7) a day, which he describes as limited.
His knives are priced between 3,000 and 6,000 dinars ($2 to $4), drawing customers who pass through the busy mosque area.
