Erbil gears up for Mawlid festivities

Shafaq News- Erbil

Erbil is preparing for Mawlid celebrations marking Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, with hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors from across Iraq expected to attend.

Lights and decorations are installed around the city's historic center, while shops in the Qaysari Bazaar are stocking up with food traditionally distributed during Mawlid. The area around the Citadel will host public and religious events during the celebrations.

For many residents, the occasion brings families together and keeps traditions that have become part of Erbil's annual celebrations alive.

“Prophet Muhammad's Mawlid has a special character in Erbil and brings families together,” resident Hendrin Ahmed told Shafaq News. “We usually go to the city center and distribute sweets and food as symbols of love and blessing. It is an occasion that adults and children look forward to every year.”

The tradition is also visible in the Qaysari Bazaar, one of Erbil's best-known traditional markets, where shops are preparing for higher demand for mlabbas (sugar-coated treats) and other Mawlid sweets.

Sirwan Kamal, who owns a sweets shop in the bazaar, said shopkeepers increase their supplies ahead of the celebrations to meet demand from residents and groups that distribute sweets free of charge.

The Citadel and its surroundings will also host performances by Sufi groups and other public activities planned for the celebrations. Yahya Arbili, an activist involved in organizing the events, told Shafaq News that organizers coordinate the performances and other activities around the historic site.

“The area around the Citadel is the heart of these celebrations,” Arbili said. “Every year, we organize public events and coordinate performances by Sufi groups whose traditional melodies and religious chants attract visitors and reflect Erbil's identity of coexistence and fraternity.”

Authorities are also arranging public-service and security measures across the city ahead of the expected crowds, with preparations focused on traffic and pedestrian movement during the celebrations.

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