Shafaq News- Al-Sulaymaniyah

For more than seventy years, the scent of charcoal and grilled liver has filled a narrow alley off Mawlawi Street. There, the small restaurant Jigar Khana (liver shop) continues its daily routine, standing as one of Al-Sulaymaniyah’s oldest kitchens devoted to traditional offal dishes and grilled food.

The restaurant serves simple, popular dishes, including liver, heart, sweetbreads, and other assorted organs, alongside kebabs, meat skewers, grilled chicken, and chicken tikka. All dishes are prepared over charcoal and served in a traditional style, far removed from modern décor or contemporary dining trends.

For Abdulkarim, the restaurant’s owner, the work goes far beyond earning a living. “This place is not just a shop. It’s a family story,” Abdulkarim told Shafaq News. He said the work began in his father’s and grandfather’s time, and little has changed since then.

Abdulkarim begins his day early, working from the morning hours until just before sunset prayer. His son and a close friend help him run the kitchen, and the restaurant provides a steady livelihood for his family and others connected to the business.

Over the years, Jigar Khana has become a destination for customers from across Al-Sulaymaniyah and other Iraqi provinces, many of whom seek the old flavors and popular-market atmosphere that recall traditional bazaar eateries. “Anyone who eats here,” he said with a smile, “comes back again.”