Erbil photographers capturing the city under lockdown

18-04-2020
Rudaw
-
-
A+ A-

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Photographers in Erbil have continued to document city life despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen daily life grind to a halt. 

The Kurdistan Region capital has been on lockdown since March 13 due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

Journalists and media employees have been exempt from the lockdown measures imposed throughout the Kurdistan Region provided they show a letter of support from their employer. 

Safin Hamed has worked for AFP since 2003, and also runs photography courses for young people in Erbil. 
 
"We’ve never seen Erbil like this," he told Rudaw.  All kinds of people live here. It welcomes everyone with open arms, all nations and religions. Erbil is always busy.

Hamed has continued to photograph life in Erbil despite the quiet streets.

"We don’t care about beauty. We care about what is happening and we document it," he added. 

"These photos are important to Rudaw Media Network as the streets are emptied," said Rudaw photographer Bilind T.Abdullah. 

“These places were busy before, they are now deserted,” he added.

 

Reporting by Dida Faridoon

 

Comments

Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.

To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.

We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.

Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.

Post a comment

Required
Required
 

The Latest

A couple arrested in Erbil’s Soran district on April 21, 2025. Photo: Submitted

Soran police arrest couple on suspicion of invalid marriage

Police in Soran district, north of the Kurdistan Region, apprehended a couple on Monday on charges of entering into an invalid marriage, amid a growing controversy that began last week due to the significant age difference between the spouses.