Forty days after the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ordered all non-essential businesses to close, Erbil’s artisan craftsmen have pulled open their shutters once more to resume work, just in time for the holy month of Ramadan. 

Lockdown measures designed to contain the spread of coronavirus have been extended until at least May 1, but local authorities have been given powers to ease some of the stringent measures. Now, several retailers have been permitted to open and the traffic suspensions lifted. 

Weeks under lockdown have cost small business-holders dearly, eating into their sales. Although many will be fasting during daylight hours for Ramadan, craftsmen told Rudaw they would be working hard to make up their losses. 

“We work while fasting. We do not get tired. What makes us upset is the lack of sales for our products,” said Sherwan, a local goldsmith.

Bakir Savan, who has been repairing traditional string instruments like the saz and baglama for 20 years, says the lack of tourists has contributed to the fall in business.

Shoppers will be reticent about returning to Erbil’s crowded bazaars while COVID-19 cases continue to emerge. Many fear a second spike in virus cases if lockdown measures are lifted too quickly. 

Photos by Bilind.T Abdullah / Rudaw