First shopping festival in eight years to be held in former ISIS capital Raqqa, Syria
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The city of Raqqa, ISIS’s former self-declared capital, witnessed the reopening of the first shopping festival in the courtyard of the old cultural center after an eight-year hiatus.
Dozens of shopkeepers selling various goods will participate in the festivities this year.
Raqqa resident Hussein Othman Abdi told North Press, “The opening of the festival is considered an achievement for the city of Raqqa after years of war and destruction.”
“Such events were held before the years of the Syrian crisis, and their reopening reminds us of the days of stability in the city,” he added.
The shopkeepers of the participants in the festival displayed their products and goods in an attempt to attract festivalgoers to visit their pavilions.
“We have a company that sells foodstuffs, so I invested this opportunity to display our products during the festival,” said food shop owner Muhammad al-Ibrahim.
Mustafa Hamdo, a bookstore owner, added that the opening of the festival coinciding with the beginning of the school year is a successful step because it saves students and parents from the hardship of shopping.
“I used to participate in the festival years ago, but this year’s edition looks different from what preceded it, both in terms of the equipment provided by woodshops and the breadth of the festival site,” Hamdo said.
He pointed out that most of the goods offered at the festival are related to school supplies, and this makes it easier for parents to shop for their children from one place.
Abdulghafour al-Khalaf, from the festival preparatory committee, told North Press, “We established the festival at the site of the old cultural center after removing the rubble from the site and equipping it with 50 wooden kiosks with an area of 16 square meters for each stall.
Al-Khalaf added that the festival, which is organized under the auspices of the Culture and Antiquities Committee of the Raqqa Civil Council, will last twenty days, and it may be held annually if it is successful as a project.
He pointed out that the aim of holding the festival at the beginning of the school year is to support children to buy their school supplies at reduced prices by investing in the offers offered by the participating merchants.