Christmas market opens in Erbil with 100 vendors participating

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Christmas market featuring 100 local entrepreneurs opened on Sunday at Erbil’s Grand Majdi Mall, bringing together festive food, music, and small businesses as the city begins preparations for the New Year celebrations.

Part of the annual December festivities in the Kurdistan Region, the market showcases a wide variety of food, sweets, and handmade goods. Live music and evening performances add to the festive atmosphere.

Organizers said the market will continue through the New Year.

“It really has a nice atmosphere and is a change of pace. Every year these festivals are held in December; it’s nice to see beautiful, excellent, and special things,” Karzan Razaq, a visitor, told Rudaw.

Another visitor, Akar Faris, praised the traditional food on offer. “For me, the best thing about these festivals is the people who make traditional Kurdish food; I commend them. The best food for an Erbil native is dolma, but since it is winter now, sarupe (pacha) is delicious,” he said.

The market was packed with visitors shortly after opening.

“It is very nice because you get a change of atmosphere and there are different foods,” said Diya Abubakir, another marketgoer. “You see all the restaurants and places up close, meet new people, and overall the atmosphere is different.”

Visitors described the event as enjoyable and unique.

“It is a very nice and unique festival,” Shahen Omar said. “We hope such festivals are held frequently because they are important for both young people and for us.”

“It was very enjoyable, especially when the artists performed and gifts were distributed; we were very happy,” she added. “March is special to me, but winters in general are very nice—the rain creates a romantic and lovely atmosphere.”

The market also provides an opportunity for business owners to introduce diverse cuisines to the public.

Shiler Ahmed, a business owner, said her late grandmother was Russian. “We were taught to cook Russian food from childhood. This time, I wanted to introduce a dish called chebureki to people, which is very delicious,” she said.

Another vendor, Omar Salar, said demand was high, with most of his food selling out on the first day. “Our first day, thank God, was good. As you can see, we have very little food left,” he said.

Erbil has already been adorned with New Year decorations.

During holiday seasons, large numbers of visitors travel to the Kurdistan Region from across Iraq and beyond. With its relatively moderate temperatures compared to the rest of the country and its natural landscapes, tourism in the Kurdistan Region has become a rapidly growing sector in recent years.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) aims to attract 20 million tourists annually by 2030.

Payam Sarbast contributed to this report