Erbil's Tailors' Market keeps Kurdish dress alive

Shafaq News- Erbil

In Erbil's old markets, the alleys of the Tailors' Market (Souq al-Khayyatin) still hold their particular charm. More than a place of trade, it is a living museum of the craft that has clothed the city for generations, and a fixed destination for those seeking traditional Kurdish dress in an age of imported, ready-made fashion.

Among the colored jacquard and satin fabrics stands Kamran Sayed, the owner of one of the market's oldest shops, who inherited the business from his father in the 1990s. "We've been tailoring Kurdish clothing here for many years, and customers can find every traditional Kurdish style they want," he told Shafaq News.

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Nearby, the sound of sewing machines still plays its daily tune. Yassin Mohammed, a tailor who has spent more than four decades in the market, said the trade has always been the market's defining and original craft, and “people visit the market every day, showing how strongly the community values its identity.”

The scene extends beyond the craftsmen to the customers who treat the market as their first refuge. Sarwan Abdullah, a regular, said buying clothes there carries a different flavor than anywhere else.

"When I visit the Tailors' Market, I am not just buying an outfit. I am looking for the precision of the cut and the quality of the fabric that we rarely find in imported ready-made clothes," Abdullah told Shafaq News. "Here, we feel we are wearing our history in modern, finely made designs."

The market remains a landmark of the Kurdish heritage, however fast modern life moves, in the hands of those who still believe authenticity is the most valuable thing a person can wear.

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