Story

Iraq: Made In Kurdistan (Not)

September 20, 2012 | Pulitzer Center
By
Jenna Krajeski, for the Pulitzer Center

On a Friday afternoon Erbil's bazaar attracts families with its low-cost clothing and home goods. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

A store in the bazaar selling mirrors and framed posters. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Turkish tea cups for sale at the Erbil bazaar. Last year, Iraqi Kurdistan imported $5.5 billion worth of goods from Turkey. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Choosing a dress. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

The dresses are a hybrid between popular styles in Kurdistan and India, where they are manufactured. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

A young boy tries on a jacket in a clothing shop. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Here, like everywhere in Erbil, the Kurdish flag is prominent. Iraqi Kurds take great pride in their political independence while resigning themselves to dependence on imports from countries like Turkey. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Carts selling school supplies all made in China. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Second-hand shoes hang from the ceiling. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Women's fashion in the bazaar reflects the more conservative and more traditional styles of its shoppers. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Small shops sell gold jewelry imported from India. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Both the goods and the architecture of the bazaar display a hidden Erbil, one where people on small salaries struggle to adapt to an increasingly expensive city. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Like the women, the male shoppers in the bazaar favor traditional clothing. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

A tired boy gets a lift. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

In the Family Mall the kids get a different kind of ride. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

At the Family Mall the Turkish influence is on bold display. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Mado, a popular Turkish cafe. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

At Ada cafe, another Turkish import, even the menu is in Turkish. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

At Ada, the books are in Turkish and Kurdish, but not Arabic. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Tapestries depicting Kurdish revolutionary heroes and cultural icons are similar to ones for sale in Turkey. These Kurdish symbols add a nationalistic element to the commercial environment. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

In the Family Mall Turkish imports signal wealth, and the influx of Turkish Kurdish businessmen, who live close by and speak the language, makes the foreign consumption easier to accept. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

Strolling the malls in Erbil is popular entertainment for those who can afford its pricey goods. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

A bright, crowded shop in nearby Shaqlawa sells a locally made product. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

"Organic" Kurdish ice cream. Image by Jenna Krajeski. Iraq, 2012.

In Iraqi Kurdistan the economy is booming and shopping is a popular weekend activity. Where the shoppers go, whether it's the high-end Family Mall or the more affordable covered bazaar, says something about what is happening to the region. For now, the accelerated economic growth risks leaving behind a lower class unable to adapt to the expensive city. The proliferation of malls like the Family Mall, which the bazaar's patrons avoid, threatens to create a lasting but hidden segregation between Erbil's rich and poor.

If the venue illustrates the changing Erbil, so do the products. Almost everything for sale in both places is imported, much of it from neighboring Turkey which last year exported $5.5 billion worth of goods to Iraqi Kurdistan. This commercial invasion has a cultural impact. Turkish goods are both a status symbol and a necessity, and the country's food, style, and language mingle with the local.

Kurdish products are sometimes referred to jokingly as "organic." They are uncommon but sought after; often, as with Shaqlawa's ice cream, they are eaten in celebration like rare treats.