Sandwiches seller in Raqqa, the city that was the stronghold of beheadings

A little carriage decorated with colored lights, in a city that witnessed the beheading of dozens of people by the Islamic State (ISIS), which took control over the city and turned it into its main stronghold on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

Ahmed Jadid has been on a steady regular timing since 15 years from 6 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. after midnight, east of the clock tower, downtown Raqqa city to sell sheep meat sandwiches. The location and the address of the seller have not changed at all, despite the change of all the variables that occurred in the city.

Ahmed waits for his customers every night near the clock tower building, which is located in the middle of Raqqa, and is considered one of the most vital places, as it witnesses a large congestion especially in the day hours, being a compulsory roundabout to move between the neighborhoods of the old city and the modern markets.

During his longtime work, Ahmed witnessed the fighter jets’ air strikes on the old Post Office and Fire-Fighting buildings, in addition the destruction of the Cultural Center, that overlooks the Clock Tower from the southern part.

Human beheadings, amputations, and whipping punishments carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) during their control of Raqqa, were the main focus of Ahmed’s customers conversations in the evenings of each of those days, while each of them is waiting for his turn to get his sandwich.

The profession that Ahmed acquired from his father from al-Bab city, northern Aleppo, where the father had worked for half a century, then Ahmed taught it to his son, so the family remains the only one that continues this profession.

Speaking to North-Press in Raqqa, Ahmed retains much of the secrets of his profession, describing it as a very tiring profession, which needs patience and a number of brothers working together.

Since the early morning, Ahmad and his brothers go to the municipal slaughterhouse, located on the eastern part of Raqqa, to buy the heads of sheep and meat, cleaned and skinned, then cooked and prepared at home, in preparation to be sold as sandwiches in his small carriage, in the evenings.

Ahmed’s customers are men, women and children, many of them have friendly relationship with him, some of whom emigrated outside the country as a result of the situation, and send him their wishes to return to Raqqa and eat a sandwich of head-meat from the owner of the low-light decorated carriage.

The head-meat seller had to flee with his family when the war in Raqqa increased between ISIS and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) like other residents of Raqqa. Searching for safety that took him to outside their city, which companied him in the heart all the time, to the city of Tabqa, about 52 km to the west of Raqqa.

Ahmad suffered after the end of the war in Raqqa and the return of the people to the city from the weak trade movement. However, he point out that the current economic conditions are good, and the markets are witnessing a dynamic movement.

Mohammed al-Jadrawi, a customer, said that the head-meat sandwich is a meal for men. He added that whenever he passes near the clock tower in Raqqa, he must eat a sandwich of sheep-head, preferring to kebab, that is famous in Raqqa.

Ali al-Mohammed, a farmer from Mazraat al-Rasheed, 42 kilometers to the west of Raqqa, said: “I’ve come a long way from my village to eat a head-meat sandwich”. He added: “Since ten years, I have been constantly eating sandwiches here”, hoping that Ahmed would continue his work to continue serving his customers.

Ahmed is still beheading cattle to offer for his customers, while his regular customers are cynically recalling the time of ISIS and human beheadings.

The city of Raqqa is still trying to revitalize its markets to gain more stability, after years of war and change.