Customers look at ornamental fish at the al-Ghazil Market in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
Al-Ghazil market, a traditional pet market in Iraqi capital Baghdad, is not only for buying and selling animals, but an opportunity for families to enjoy and learn about different types of animals.
BAGHDAD, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Early in the morning of every Friday, hundreds of pet-lovers gather at the al-Ghazil market, a traditional pet market, in central Iraqi capital Baghdad, to sell and buy animals.
The name of the market al-Ghazil is a reference to the wool and cotton market that originated in the Ottoman era, next to the minaret of the Caliphs Mosque, which is one of the oldest minarets in Baghdad that dates back more than a thousand years during the Abbasid era.
Vendors in the al-Ghazil bazaar used to sell woolen and cotton products in the past centuries, but over time, people gradually shifted to selling different kinds of animals such as birds, dogs, cats, ornamental fish, and sometimes snakes, wild falcons, and peacocks.
It is one of the most famous animal markets in Iraq, and is considered one of the most unique landmarks at the side of the bustling al-Jumhouriyah Street in the old city center of Baghdad.
A customer looks at birds displayed at the al-Ghazil Market in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
Mohammad Hussein, 52, told Xinhua that the market is not only for buying and selling animals, but an opportunity for families to enjoy and learn about different types of animals.
"Some shopkeepers here have ostrich and deer farms," Hussein added.
A child and his father stand in front of cats for sale in the famous al-Ghazil Market in central Baghdad, Iraq, on January 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
Ali al-Kaabi, 40, who used to come every Friday from Doura district in southern Baghdad to al-Ghazil Market to sell and buy birds, said that some people come from the early morning till the afternoon to do business, but most of them come only to watch and enjoy the different kinds of animals in the market.
The traditional bazaar also provides a unique opportunity for those who want to make their living by selling and buying animals, amid the country's rampant unemployment and severe economic hurdles that aggravated after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and the recent spread of coronavirus pandemic in the country.
A customer wears a mask near birds for sale in the famous al-Ghazil Market in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 31, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
Mohammed Abdul-Hamid, 33, is one of them.
"I have the hobby of keeping ornamental fish, and I come to al-Ghazil Market every Friday to look for a new and unique type of fish that might attract customers," said Abdul-Hamid, who has six aquariums at home and uses social media to market his fish to make more profit.
After the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, the bustling al-Ghazil Market was exposed to many terrorist attacks by the al-Qaida group that resulted in the killing and wounding of hundreds of Iraqis.
The security forces entails additional security measures to control the overcrowding area and spare the lives of civilians. ■
