In Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, just south of the ancient citadel there is a huge bazaar, callled Qaysari. It’s a maze of narrow covered alleys lined by numerous shops selling wide variety of products from nuts and sweets to clothes and jewelery. In one part of the bazaar there are concentrated tailors specializing in traditional Kurdish clothes - Cilî Kurdî. These clothes have remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years and are considered to be important part of the Kurdish heritage. Around 200 tailors sew them here in the cosy workshops. All of them are men and they only sew men’s clothes. They start in the morning at about eight o’clock when the first shoppers are coming to the bazaar. It’s hard not to feel typical oriental atmosphere here. Lively Kurdish melodies from radio speakers mixes with monotonous sound of sewing machines and the air smells of the fabrics newness imported fom various parts of the world. The customers are treated like honorable gests here. They get a cup of tea, choose the fabric they like and during friendly chatting with a tailor are carefully measured. These alleys are getting lively especially in the afternoon, when tailors‘ sons and grandsons come here to help them and learn their skills. It takes about one week to complete these clothes and the price can get pretty high, depending on quality of fabric. Despite the younger generation of men don’t wear this kind of clothes everyday anymore, they wear it for important days and festivities such as Newroz – Kurdish new year.

62-year old tailor Hassan:
I’ve worked in this bazaar as a tailor since I was a little boy helping my father who was a tailor as well. I have seven children but non of them wanted to continue in my footsteps. The only one interested in this craft is my grandson Salih. He comes here everyday after he finishes at the school and helps me with ironing, preparing buttons and other things. He’s still too young to take it over but I believe that he will do it one day.

The photos were taken in Erbil, Iraq, Kurdistan Region


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