Basra
Basra was once called the Venice of the East for its network of creeks and canals, and the old quarter along the Ashar creek still keeps a group of the…
Basra was once called the Venice of the East for its network of creeks and canals, and the old quarter along the Ashar creek still keeps a group of the merchant houses that gave the city its character. They are known by their shanashil, the projecting upper storeys of carved wooden latticework that let the household look out onto the lane while remaining unseen, and that catch the breeze and soften the sun in Basra's heat. Their spread began in the Ottoman period, and the surviving houses belonged to the city's leading families, among them the al-Naqib and Bash A'yan. The houses stand mainly in the Nadhran area of Old Basra. Each has a brick ground floor and a light timber upper storey, a style suited to the city's soft, damp ground, and the craftsmanship shows the influence of the Indian carpenters who worked in Basra's trade with the subcontinent. Several houses have been restored in recent years under a UNESCO programme for the old cities of Basra and Mosul, and some now serve as cultural venues, including the Palace of Culture and Arts. The Two Minarets Mosque, the al-Abbasiyya Library and the Kawaz mosque are all within a short walk.