Shafaq News/ Residents and historians in Iraq's Diyala Province have called for urgent measures to preserve the historic Al-Manjara neighborhood in central Baquba, warning that neglect has left the area on the brink of collapse.

Al-Manjara, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, served as Baquba’s administrative center during the Ottoman and British eras. It housed the Saraya building, a former government headquarters, alongside bustling markets and diverse communities of Arabs, Turkmen, Christians, and Jews.

Locals say the neighborhood’s aging buildings, cracked walls, and deteriorating roads threaten its architectural and cultural heritage. “Al-Manjara is the soul of Baquba; the city emerged from here,” Abu Mohammad, a longtime resident told Shafaq News.

“But its landmarks, like the old Qaysariya market, Darbouna Al-Yahud (Jewish Alley), the market bathhouse, and the Saraya building, are now crumbling.”

Meanwhile, historical researcher Nabil Al-Azzawi emphasized Al-Manjara’s significance, noting that Baquba’s development began there in 1760, with key sites such as Wathba Square, Ras Al-Akkad, Al-Fayziya, and Qantara Khalil Pasha tracing their roots to the area.

Al-Azzawi warned that the Saraya building’s collapse would erase a vital part of the city’s identity. “Immediate restoration is needed. If we fail to act, Baquba risks losing a crucial chapter of its history,” he told Shafaq News.

Calls for preservation come as Diyala Province grapples with broader infrastructure problems. Last year, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani visited the province to oversee infrastructure projects, including the opening of the 60-kilometer Baghdad-Al-Khalis road as part of a broader Baghdad-Kirkuk highway rehabilitation initiative.