Arab Quarter between renovation and destruction

ERBIL, Kurdistan - The 200-year-old Arab Quarter in Erbil is caught between the choice of preserving history or making way for innovation and new ideas. 

The Arab Quarter is located near the Citadel, one of the oldest constantly inhabited areas and a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Seventy-five year old Haji Younis wants to see the Arab Quarter being renovated in order to prevent its complete destruction. “We don’t want to see the Arab Quarter vanish,” he told Rudaw’s Peshawa Bakhtyar on Wednesday.  

Despite being one of the oldest areas in Erbil, the neighborhood has remained largely abandoned by authorities. 

Local residents want to prevent the complete destruction of the quarter, where they grew up and made most of their childhood memories. They want the quarter to be preserved as a historical site. 

“The government needs to take care of this quarter. We want to see the place like it was before. Problems arise in this area because no one is taking care of it, and there aren't any cameras to monitor the area, or electricity,” another local called Amr said.