IRAQ: Baghdad's Zawra Park is covered with a carpet of blossoming flowers

Record ID: 241916

  • Title: IRAQ: Baghdad's Zawra Park is covered with a carpet of blossoming flowers
  • Date: 20th April 2010
  • Summary: CLOSEUP OF CACTI ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE VISITING FLOWER PAVILIONS
  • Embargoed: 5th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9YNDHCD56BS1GL48XN6ZFPKP
  • Story Text: Iraq opened its 2nd international flower festival in Baghdad's biggest park, Zawra, on Thursday (April 15) with a large number of Arab and foreign agricultural companies participating.
    The festival aims to show the world that the war-torn country is flourishing after years of chaos and bloodshed.
    Held under the banner of "Baghdad is the city of flowers and peace," the one-week festival sponsored by the Baghdad Mayoralty features displays from Baghdad's municipalities, 18 Iraqi provinces and 12 foreign nations including Netherlands, Syria, Germany, China and the U.S.
    "All the offices of the Baghdad Mayoralty have been instructed to prepare distinguished and purposeful pavilions and designs that reflect the reality that Iraq passed through. This festival symbolises that Iraq is recovering gradually and establishing security which encourages holding festivals that can gather big numbers of Arab and foreign countries and help converge ideas and exchange expertise, too," said Jinan Karim, media officer for the Baghdad Mayoralty.
    The flower zone occupies more than 50,000 square metres of space in the roughly 10-square-km park.
    A representative of the Syrian pavilion said his nation was happy to participate in the festival for the second consecutive year.
    "Actually, it was an honour to participate in the festival last year. We were from the pioneers and we participated with big products of internal and external plants, flowers and a variety of local seeds. Actually, we received an early invitation this year and we are happy to be among the participants," said Basheer Kharfan.
    Iraqis attending the festival said Baghdad wants to tell the world that the aroma of flowers is stronger than the gunpowder which prevailed in the past years.
    "The first thing that we feel is to feel safe, a feeling that we missed from years after the fall of the regime and until now, the second thing is the psychological comfort here. When we are here, we feel that Baghdad is prosperous again," said Ethan Amir, who visited the display.
    Many residents in the city of seven million people are still wary of making unnecessary trips outside their homes, but some are beginning to venture back to al-Zawra to enjoy the gardens, lake, horse stables, theme park and zoo.
    The zoo was severely damaged during the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Many of the tame animals -- birds, pigs, goats and monkeys -- were looted, resulting in several exotic birds being sold on the black market while other animals became food.
    Zawra was built in the early 1970s. During the 1980s nearly half of its space was converted, on order by Saddam Hussein, for the purpose of creating the Big Celebrations Hall to host official national occasions. The area now falls within the borders of the Green Zone.
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