Sulaymaniyah Grand Bazaar

The bazaar spreads through the centre of Sulaymaniyah in a network of covered lanes and open streets, divided loosely by trade: goldsmiths in one section with windows of heavy Kurdish jewellery, cloth and Kurdish dress in another, spices, dried fruit, nuts and the mountain cheeses wrapped in skin, tea houses where men sit over glasses all afternoon, tobacco, tools and household goods. It is a working market rather than a tourist one, and prices are ordinary. Around the edges are the old caravanserais, some restored. Sulaymaniyah is the cultural centre of Iraqi Kurdistan, with a strong tradition of poetry, music and publishing, and the bazaar teahouses are part of that world.

Highlights

• The goldsmiths' lane - heavy traditional jewellery in the windows.
• Cheese and dried fruit - mountain produce sold by weight.
• Kurdish dress - cloth and tailoring for traditional clothing.
• Teahouses - the long afternoons over glasses of tea.

When to go

October to April for comfortable walking; Sulaymaniyah summers are hot though drier than the plain. Mornings are the busiest for trade. Fridays are quieter.

Before you go

It is a working market, crowded and not arranged for visitors, with no signage in English. Photography of people needs asking. Pickpocketing occurs in the crush. There is little aimed at tourists, which is the appeal.

Nearby

The Slemani Museum is close; Darbandikhan lies southeast.