75 international experts in urban planning exploring Baghdad amid tight security
(Voice of Iraq) -
A battalion of the army closed the old part of the city ... The market of shoppers were evacuated ...
Baghdad: Timothy Williams and Jasmine Moses * Embarked on a series of foreign visitors on a tour across Baghdad recently.
In any other place, maybe not such an event to draw attention, but the situation is different in Baghdad, where insurgents launched a series of simultaneous attacks in the recent period.
To ensure security in the city, even for a few hours proceeded authorities to deploy an entire battalion of Iraqi army and hundreds of police officers and a group of special forces of the Ministry of Interior, and it took the unusual step of closing the old part of the city.
The visiting delegation was composed of about 75 architects and urban planners from the United States, France, Iran, Italy, Japan and other countries, who were participating in the Conference extended its activities for six days on maintenance of the urban centers of Iraq.
In his welcoming speech delivered by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, spent days in the Conference participants to listen to experts in the field of redevelopment.
On the fourth day, crammed into 3 mini-buses surrounded by armored cars with police and intelligence agents were heavily armed, and took a tour through the architectural wonders and cultural campus most of the aliens from access to for decades at a time often is the Iraqis fear deep preclude visit them.
The convoy crept through the streets of Baghdad traffic in front of the provincial council and the Ministry of Justice, where a series of bombings that killed 155 people in October (October) last year.
The guide facilities for visitors to the dilapidated buildings without showing signs of vulnerability scene.
Initiated by planners and architects to capture images. With the passage of buses carrying the delegation through checkpoints in the streets of the congested traffic, that individuals within the car heads out of the windows of their cars with their hands pointing towards the buses, as if this will make the scenery is striking more realistic.
Observed that the chances of foreign View in Baghdad without being dressed in official uniform or carrying a weapon is very rare.
Shouted the driver of a taxi towards the members of the delegation asked Who are you?, Before asking them to guide them to close the windows utilities for the operation of the air conditioner.
As was the case with all other members about the delegation, acknowledged Mark Santos (49 years), an architect who works with the Council of the Municipality of Barcelona, the great concern Force summed up to the dangers inherent in Baghdad, but decided to risk by coming to a city that has been taboo is actually a period of time.
He said: Everything is subject to strict control, but I think that this is a logical. Station was the first stop in the school Mustansiriya constructed and opened its doors in 1233 during the Islamic golden age.
After 25 years of that date, the city was destroyed and plundered by Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan and the brother of Kublai Khan.
Members of the group and went up several ladders on their way to the surface. And pretended to fall as a young lady, which would have been a new way to die in Iraq.
And the inability of the police heavily with Kalashnikov rifles and are not accustomed to dealing with such situations, for determining the optimal image of what should be the reaction.
One of them asked his colleague: you should go up? And the other replied: I do not know. I responded: No, I think that we should move.
On the surface, remove the police cameras and took pictures of themselves while they were in one of the rare moments that smile through it.
The second leg was the market, which sells rugs, books and manufactures copper - which constituted the long-standing part of the identity of Baghdad - as well as other goods.
And as tourists in one of the streets cleared of traffic, rallied the people on both sides stared at them, but the police was keen to distance them from visitors and kept within the protective side.
One of the tourists: It seemed as if we were circus band.
Within the antiques market and manufactures copper (beeps), leaving the road on copper voice echoing all over the place, but the whole place had been released from shoppers, and thus stripped of much of its character.
Peered merchants from outside the stalls to stare at the foreign visitors, but they did not Inpsoa a word, though are used to gossip and chatting.
Finally, a vendor said: We love visitors. We need more of them.
Abroad, specifically in the Mutanabi Street, Baghdad, there is no market for books, where he books for sale on the list of tables on the sidewalks, and a little can be found within libraries specialized in selling books.
The contents of the books will vary between the Koran and recipes for cooking, and sometimes these books are placed next to each . It is worth mentioning that this market was to blow up in 2007 that killed 26 people.
For its part, suspended Nadia Nlena, an architect of Rotterdam, saying: «The atmosphere was more positive than I expected».
But I felt safe there?
Nlena replied: I have informed us is always tight security measures.
Within the «Qishlah» is the administrative headquarters of the Ottoman government in Baghdad since a century ago, tourists were busy taking photos.
In one aspect, baptized a security guard to stand in front of a sign indicating that metal buildings have been restored during the reign of Saddam Hussein.
With the approaching end of the tour, Michael Pearson (77 years), an architect from a family characterized by three generations of architects in London, dry race.
Unlike the case with most members of the group, already Persson to visit Baghdad, but 30 years ago.
Pearson commented on the status of the city, saying: «look so exhausted after three wars. It is sad.
In a café «Shabandar», Forum intellectuals, the men sat sipping tea and smoking water pipes locally.
Accelerated the wall in black and white images to Baghdad at the height of its glory.
He Gary L..Russell, architect of the «Commission Boston features», expressed surprise at the calm that has clouded much of the town in the evening, which of course is due to the curfew imposed at night.
He added: «the damage is not extensive and the degree to which I imagined.
Iraodk not feeling that this place seriously, contrary to what had been the case two years ago or three years ».
In Baghdadi Museum, there is a plaque on the wall bearing the words on the lips of maxims philosopher and poet, lived in the tenth century atheist, Abu Ala Al-Maari, says: «who lived and died in Baghdad, if he moved from committee to committee.
At home, senior architects and urban planners have lunch, and perhaps Inspired thinking of ways to make these words a reality.
Outside, a group of police officers and soldiers to keep the people of the city away from the scene.
* خدمة: «نيويورك تايمز» * Service: «The New York Times»
الشرق الاوسط Middle East
Baghdad: Timothy Williams and Jasmine Moses * Embarked on a series of foreign visitors on a tour across Baghdad recently.
In any other place, maybe not such an event to draw attention, but the situation is different in Baghdad, where insurgents launched a series of simultaneous attacks in the recent period.
To ensure security in the city, even for a few hours proceeded authorities to deploy an entire battalion of Iraqi army and hundreds of police officers and a group of special forces of the Ministry of Interior, and it took the unusual step of closing the old part of the city.
The visiting delegation was composed of about 75 architects and urban planners from the United States, France, Iran, Italy, Japan and other countries, who were participating in the Conference extended its activities for six days on maintenance of the urban centers of Iraq.
In his welcoming speech delivered by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, spent days in the Conference participants to listen to experts in the field of redevelopment.
On the fourth day, crammed into 3 mini-buses surrounded by armored cars with police and intelligence agents were heavily armed, and took a tour through the architectural wonders and cultural campus most of the aliens from access to for decades at a time often is the Iraqis fear deep preclude visit them.
The convoy crept through the streets of Baghdad traffic in front of the provincial council and the Ministry of Justice, where a series of bombings that killed 155 people in October (October) last year.
The guide facilities for visitors to the dilapidated buildings without showing signs of vulnerability scene.
Initiated by planners and architects to capture images. With the passage of buses carrying the delegation through checkpoints in the streets of the congested traffic, that individuals within the car heads out of the windows of their cars with their hands pointing towards the buses, as if this will make the scenery is striking more realistic.
Observed that the chances of foreign View in Baghdad without being dressed in official uniform or carrying a weapon is very rare.
Shouted the driver of a taxi towards the members of the delegation asked Who are you?, Before asking them to guide them to close the windows utilities for the operation of the air conditioner.
As was the case with all other members about the delegation, acknowledged Mark Santos (49 years), an architect who works with the Council of the Municipality of Barcelona, the great concern Force summed up to the dangers inherent in Baghdad, but decided to risk by coming to a city that has been taboo is actually a period of time.
He said: Everything is subject to strict control, but I think that this is a logical. Station was the first stop in the school Mustansiriya constructed and opened its doors in 1233 during the Islamic golden age.
After 25 years of that date, the city was destroyed and plundered by Hulagu, the grandson of Genghis Khan and the brother of Kublai Khan.
Members of the group and went up several ladders on their way to the surface. And pretended to fall as a young lady, which would have been a new way to die in Iraq.
And the inability of the police heavily with Kalashnikov rifles and are not accustomed to dealing with such situations, for determining the optimal image of what should be the reaction.
One of them asked his colleague: you should go up? And the other replied: I do not know. I responded: No, I think that we should move.
On the surface, remove the police cameras and took pictures of themselves while they were in one of the rare moments that smile through it.
The second leg was the market, which sells rugs, books and manufactures copper - which constituted the long-standing part of the identity of Baghdad - as well as other goods.
And as tourists in one of the streets cleared of traffic, rallied the people on both sides stared at them, but the police was keen to distance them from visitors and kept within the protective side.
One of the tourists: It seemed as if we were circus band.
Within the antiques market and manufactures copper (beeps), leaving the road on copper voice echoing all over the place, but the whole place had been released from shoppers, and thus stripped of much of its character.
Peered merchants from outside the stalls to stare at the foreign visitors, but they did not Inpsoa a word, though are used to gossip and chatting.
Finally, a vendor said: We love visitors. We need more of them.
Abroad, specifically in the Mutanabi Street, Baghdad, there is no market for books, where he books for sale on the list of tables on the sidewalks, and a little can be found within libraries specialized in selling books.
The contents of the books will vary between the Koran and recipes for cooking, and sometimes these books are placed next to each . It is worth mentioning that this market was to blow up in 2007 that killed 26 people.
For its part, suspended Nadia Nlena, an architect of Rotterdam, saying: «The atmosphere was more positive than I expected».
But I felt safe there?
Nlena replied: I have informed us is always tight security measures.
Within the «Qishlah» is the administrative headquarters of the Ottoman government in Baghdad since a century ago, tourists were busy taking photos.
In one aspect, baptized a security guard to stand in front of a sign indicating that metal buildings have been restored during the reign of Saddam Hussein.
With the approaching end of the tour, Michael Pearson (77 years), an architect from a family characterized by three generations of architects in London, dry race.
Unlike the case with most members of the group, already Persson to visit Baghdad, but 30 years ago.
Pearson commented on the status of the city, saying: «look so exhausted after three wars. It is sad.
In a café «Shabandar», Forum intellectuals, the men sat sipping tea and smoking water pipes locally.
Accelerated the wall in black and white images to Baghdad at the height of its glory.
He Gary L..Russell, architect of the «Commission Boston features», expressed surprise at the calm that has clouded much of the town in the evening, which of course is due to the curfew imposed at night.
He added: «the damage is not extensive and the degree to which I imagined.
Iraodk not feeling that this place seriously, contrary to what had been the case two years ago or three years ».
In Baghdadi Museum, there is a plaque on the wall bearing the words on the lips of maxims philosopher and poet, lived in the tenth century atheist, Abu Ala Al-Maari, says: «who lived and died in Baghdad, if he moved from committee to committee.
At home, senior architects and urban planners have lunch, and perhaps Inspired thinking of ways to make these words a reality.
Outside, a group of police officers and soldiers to keep the people of the city away from the scene.
* خدمة: «نيويورك تايمز» * Service: «The New York Times»
الشرق الاوسط Middle East
