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The white and yellow narcissus flower will soon be in full bloom and available on nearly every street corner across Kurdistan.
The nergiz season starts in January and culminates in April. But getting the delicate flowers to market is no easy task.
Zikri Osman has been growing nergiz in the city of Akre for 10 years. He has around 5,000 bulbs in his garden.
"It’s too early for their season. It’s cold. We pick them up and make bouquets. Then, we put the bouquets into hot water for two days. They will bloom in a warm room. Then we take them to the shops to sell," he said.
He expects demand to be high. A bouquet of the flowers costs 2,000-3,000 IQD ($1.60-2.50).
People buy them for different reasons.
"I buy them for my home. You feel relaxed when you look and smell them. Some people buy them for their beloved ones, gifts and patients," said Rehwan Ismail, a loyal customer from Akre.
The Akre Tourism Directorate is encouraging people to grow nergiz to attract tourists.
"We have been advertising nergiz by making brochures and ads on social media for the product to become known. Fortunately the product has been increasing in the past two years. We try to encourage people to grow more nergiz in order to make a business for them," said Akre Tourism Director Didar Ramazan
Reporting by Ayub Nesri
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