{"id":3027,"date":"2025-09-30T07:36:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T07:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2025\/09\/30\/iraqs-shoemakers-revive-their-ancient-craft\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T07:36:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T07:36:35","slug":"iraqs-shoemakers-revive-their-ancient-craft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2025\/09\/30\/iraqs-shoemakers-revive-their-ancient-craft\/","title":{"rendered":"Iraq\u2019s shoemakers revive their ancient craft"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

In the narrow alleys of Old Mosul, once the proud heart of Iraq\u2019s shoemaking industry, the workshops are coming alive again.<\/p>\n

After years of conflict and destruction, artisans like 58-year-old Saad Abdul Aal are reviving a tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years.<\/p>\n

Shoemaking in Iraq, known as al-qandarjiya, flourished during the Abbasid Caliphate, when Baghdad was a global hub of trade and culture.<\/p>\n

Generations of families devoted their lives to transforming rawhide into durable footwear, their skills handed down from master to apprentice.<\/p>\n

Before the war, the capital city of Baghdad had more than 250 factories, while Mosul boasted over 50. Iraqi-made shoes were prized for their elegance and resilience \u2013 a symbol of national pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur work began more than 40 years ago,\u201d says Abdul Aal, his hands quick and steady as he trims a piece of leather. \u201cI learned the profession, fell in love with it, and never left it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That proud tradition nearly disappeared in 2014, when ISIL (ISIS) seized Mosul. Workshops and factories were bombed, looted, or abandoned.<\/p>\n

Abdul Aal lost everything \u2013 his equipment, his shop, his workers. \u201cBombings, destruction,\u201d he recalls. \u201cThere was no money even to consider starting again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"After
After returning to Mosul, Abdul Aal found his workshop destroyed [File: International Organization for Migration]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the end of the war, Mosul\u2019s 50 factories had dwindled to fewer than 10. Thousands of shoemakers were left unemployed, their skills at risk of vanishing.<\/p>\n

The turning point came with the International Organization for Migration\u2019s (IOM\u2019s) Enterprise Development Fund-Tameer, which provided grants and training to displaced entrepreneurs and returnees.<\/p>\n

For Abdul Aal, this was an opportunity to buy sewing and pressing machines, reopen his workshop, and hire staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not easy, but little by little we are moving forward,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Today, Abdul Aal produces about four pairs of shoes a day \u2013 fewer than before, but enough to keep his business alive. Competition from cheap imports is fierce, but he insists Iraqi craftsmanship still has an edge.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur shoes are genuine leather; they last. Imported shoes may appear visually appealing, but they lack quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn contrast, the shoes produced in my factory are visually similar to imported shoes but offer superior quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what makes us proud.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the narrow alleys of Old Mosul, once the proud heart of Iraq\u2019s shoemaking industry, the workshops are coming alive again. After years of conflict and destruction, artisans like 58-year-old Saad Abdul Aal are reviving a tradition that dates back more than 1,000 years. Shoemaking in Iraq, known as al-qandarjiya, flourished during the Abbasid Caliphate, … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}