Mosul’s favorite sweet shop back in business

MOSUL, Iraq – A local sweet shop in Mosul whose brand has become a familiar name all over Iraq has reopened after years of closure because of the war against ISIS.

 

With loads of trucks making their way into the liberated areas of Mosul, the direction of trade is largely one way, with little or no goods exported out of the city. 

 

Ahmad Halwani sweet shop, however, is different. The name reminds locals and others from around Iraq of Mosul before the war, where they used to buy their favorite baklava among other sweets flavored with walnut and pistachio.

 

"Thanks to God, the shop suffered only material damage during the war,” Omar Ibrahim, nephew of the business owner, told Rudaw.

 

Customers come from all provinces, he said, including the Kurdistan Region. "They come at night and buy all kinds of sweets,” Ibrahim added as they reopened the shop about two months ago east of the Tigris River after Iraqi forces liberated the area in late January.

 

A Kurdish minibus driver said that he visits Mosul every month, stays for several days, and then heads home with some sweets bought from Ahmad Halwani.

 

“It is not expensive, and this sweet is baked with ghee,” said the driver from Erbil. “Compared to Erbil sweets, this one has more pistachio in it.”