Artists paint floral mural along Koya martyrs’ cemetery wall

ERBIL — The Shaheed Jaafar Institute of Fine Arts in Koya district, Erbil, has launched a large-scale mural along the wall of the city’s Shaheedan cemetery, with artists, instructors and volunteers decorating the site with floral designs.

Chya Bestoon, director of the institute, told 964media the project aims to give the cemetery wall an artistic appearance. The wall stretches more than 1,300 meters.

Bestoon said the effort brings together many local artists, college instructors, unemployed graduates and art students from Koya. He said the work is being carried out in several phases and is expected to take about six weeks. The mural will feature a variety of flowers, including red anemones, as symbols of the martyrs.

Daban Wahab, a painter taking part, told 964media that many city residents have relatives buried at the cemetery, making the work personally meaningful. “We don’t feel tired while doing this work,” Wahab said. “I’ve been participating alongside the artists and instructors from the Institute of Fine Arts since the first day, and I’ll continue until the project is finished.”

She said the mural felt different from previous wall-painting projects because of its location. “This artwork carries a very special feeling and is different from all the murals we’ve done before, because many of our loved ones are buried here. There’s a force that keeps us motivated to continue with energy and enthusiasm,” she said.