ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The long-awaited payment of some civil servant salaries has brought bustle back to Erbil's landmark Langa market.

Last week, the Iraqi government sent 320 billion dinars (around $268 million) to Erbil to cover half of Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) employee salary payments. In line with a temporary agreement reached between the two governments, Baghdad will continue to send the sum until either the end of 2020 or when Iraqi parliament approves a 2021 budget.

Traders at Langa say tourists from central and southern parts of Iraq are also spending big at the market, which mostly sells second-hand goods.

"Our customers are mainly government employees and tourists," shop owner Bakhtyar Ali said. "People come to us because our goods are cheap and of good quality." 

Langa's recent history has been marred by misfortune. The market suffered a major fire caused by an electrical fault in October 2018, for which it had to undergo a large-scale renovation. Strict government measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus earlier this year saw the market shut down. It reopened to receive only a trickle of the customers it once served, with much of the public still fearful of potential market crowds. Shop owners in the bazaar told Rudaw in June that they were being dealt a further blow by high commercial rents.

Avin Mohammed is a teacher in Erbil, and a "constant customer" of the market.
    
"Everything I could want is here in this bazaar, and for a very reasonable price," Mohammed said. "Goods sold at the malls are both expensive and not of good quality."