- Title: IRAQ: Amusement park provides distraction from Iraqi security fears
- Date: 14th August 2013
- Summary: SULAIMANIYA, IRAQ (RECENT, 2013) (REUTERS) VIEW OF CHAVY LAND CITY IN SULAIMANIYA ANOTHER VIEW OF CHAVY LAND AMUSEMENT PARK ROLLER COASTER AND FAMILIES WALKING IN GARDENS OF CITY VARIOUS OF FAMILY AND CHILDREN WALKING IN GARDEN GROUP OF YOUNG WOMEN IN PARK VARIOUS OF GROUP OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN IN PARK GROUP OF YOUNG MEN IN CAR IN PARK ROLLER COASTER RIDE ABOUT TO BEGIN VARIOUS OF ROLLER COASTER FERRIS WHEEL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DANNA HASSAN MOHAMMED, MANAGER OF CHAVY LAND, SAYING: ''Chavy Land as a project is bigger than other parks (in the city), our services are also considered to be of a high standard, and the technology used in the parks is very advanced. For example the Ferris wheel is 90 metres, and there isn't one like this in the Middle East. We are also using a teleferique service and it covers 2.5 kilometres. There's also a water fountain that reaches a height of 30 metres.'' FERRIS WHEEL CABINS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DANNA HASSAN MOHAMMED, MANAGER OF CHAVY LAND, SAYING: "We are of course very happy to see our brothers from the central and southern parts of the country coming here to forget the political problems and the terrorist attacks that plague parts of Iraq including explosions, car bombs and the unstable political situation. When they come here they forget their troubles." CHALETS FOR GUESTS TO STAY FOR ONE OR TWO NIGHTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DANNA HASSAN MOHAMMED, MANAGER OF CHAVY LAND, SAYING: ''The project is designed to receive more than 60,000 visitors a day. But on normal days we have around 5,000 to 6,000 and 7,000 visitors a day, while on other days, Thursdays and Fridays and holidays, there are more than 10,00 visitors to the park.'' PARK AT NIGHT FAMILIES WALKING IN PARK MORE OF FAMILIES INSIDE PARK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ALI ISMAIL, FROM IRAQ'S SOUTHERN CITY OF BASRA, SAYING: ''We as Iraqis, we need these kind of places to take us away from the problems, the bombings and the killings. I'm from the Basra province and when I come to Sulaimaniya I come and visit this amusement park.'' (NIGHT SHOTS) GROUP OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR THEIR TURN TO RIDE ON ROLLER COASTER (MUTE) MORE OF CROWD WAITING TO RIDE ON ROLLER COASTER (MUTE) PASSENGERS SITTING IN ROLLER COASTER AS THE RIDE BEGINS
- Embargoed: 29th August 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Iraq
- City:
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: General,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA7W00FY0L78ZI28RPE4ZUDAGQK
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Families stroll through the gardens of Sulaimaniya's newly opened Chavy Land in Iraq's northern autonomous region of Kurdistan and young people take rides on the roller coaster.
They are Iraqi Arabs seeking a break from the raging violence and daily bombings plaguing their cities and enjoying the peace and tranquility prevailing in the northern region.
Sulaimaniya, a city of about 700,000 inhabitants set in the mountains of the autonomous, northern Kurdish region, is an attractive spot rapidly becoming a thriving business hub.
Described as one of the biggest tourism projects in the Middle East and Iraq, Chavy Land amusement park is part of an ambitious plan by Sulaimaniya city to attract more visitors from central and southern parts of Iraq and also neighbouring countries to boost the city's economy.
The 150 million dollar project is constructed over an area of 750,000 square metres and includes a cable car with 32 cabins which take eight people each; a 90-metre high Ferris wheel and a roller coaster; plus a wax museum, 4D cinema and a dancing fountain.
''Chavy Land as a project is bigger than other parks (in the city), our services are also considered to be of a high standard, and the technology used in the parks is very advanced. For example the Ferris wheel is 90 metres, and there isn't one like this in the Middle East. We are also using a teleferique service and it covers 2.5 kilometres. There's also a water fountain that reaches a height of 30 metres,'' said Danna Hassan Mohammed, the manager of Chavy Land.
Mohammed says most of the visitors of the park are Iraqi Arabs seeking to escape violence in their cities. Other visitors come from neighbouring countries including Iran and Turkey and also from eastern Europe.
"We are of course very happy to see our brothers from the central and southern parts of the country coming here to forget the political problems and the terrorist attacks that plague parts of Iraq including explosions, car bombs and the unstable political situation. When they come here they forget their troubles," Mohammed said.
Speaking about the number of visitors Mohammed added that the park can accommodate 60,000 visitors, but that most people tend to visit the attraction at weekends.
''The project is designed to receive more than 60,000 visitors a day. But on normal days we have around 5,000 to 6,000 and 7,000 visitors a day, while on other days, Thursdays and Fridays and holidays, there are more than 10,00 visitors to the park.'' Administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the region's three provinces of Arbil, Sulaimaniya and Dohouk have largely escaped the violence that has been tearing apart the rest of Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003, which toppled Saddam Hussein and uncorked long-suppressed sectarian hostility.
While other parts of Iraq remain paralysed by insurgents and extremists, the Kurds are building a comparatively safe society. The construction business is growing so fast that Kurdistan is being compared to Dubai and Kuwait at the the start of their economic booms.
Ali Ismail from the southern Iraqi city of Basra is one of the large number of Arabs seeking refuge from the almost daily bombings, lack of electricity and the blistering heat in the mountainous Kurdish region where Iraqi Arabs fill hotels.
Guest chalets at Chavy Land are available for one or two day stays. A one bedroom house costs 200,000 Iraqi dinars, more than 170 U.S. Dollars per night, a two bedroom house costs 250,000 Iraqi dinars, more than 214 U.S. Dollars a night.
''We as Iraqis, we need these kind of places to take us away from the problems, the bombings and the killings. I'm from the Basra province and when I come to Sulaimaniya I come and visit this amusement park,'' said Ismail, one of the many evening visitors to Chavy Land.
July had the highest monthly death toll from attacks since 2008, with more than 1,000 Iraqis killed, according to United Nations statistics. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None