Culture

Kurdistan Region’s diversity and harmony on display at Syrian-style restaurant

With the feel of a typical Levantine scene, a restaurant in the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil serves up a taste of Syria to its customers from all walks of life, bringing cultures and nations closer together across borders.

Kosar Nawzad 2018/08/03 07:39

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ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – With the feel of a typical Levantine scene, a restaurant in the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil serves up a taste of Syria to its customers from all walks of life, bringing cultures and nations closer together across borders.

Brought to life by traditional songs, the Erbil-based Syrian-style restaurant of Tablea offers its customers a dynamic atmosphere, reminiscent of Damascus, for an evening of delight. On one of those nights, Kurdistan 24 paid the restaurant a visit to discover more about this ‘bridge between peoples.’

A family dines at the Tablea restaurant. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

“The region of Kurdistan brings us together through compassion,” Amir Younis, a member of the band playing that evening, told Kurdistan 24. “I sing Levantine, Lebanese, and Iraqi folklore and I feel the happiness of people as they hear and harmonize with these songs.”

Currently, hundreds of thousands of Syrians who fled the country and its devastating civil war after it began in 2011 live in the Kurdistan region.

“In Erbil, I feel the spirit of Damascus. Kurdish and Arab families live in harmony, and this is both comforting and reassuring,” says Omar Issa, a Syrian.

The Kurdistan Region is known for being a safe and secure haven compared to other Iraqi provinces and many neighboring countries, drawing some that seek refuge, work, and tourists who simply wish to visit and enjoy the peaceful environment.

The open area part of the Tablea restaurant. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

“I have been in Erbil for a month. It was not a culture shock for me, and I see much of the atmosphere of Damascus here,” says another Syrian, Lina Rukn-Addin.

For tourists from Baghdad and other southern provinces of Iraq, the Kurdistan Region is a major attraction for those looking to enjoy its beautiful mountain ranges, natural landscapes, and cooler weather.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has, over the past few years, actively developed the tourism sector in the semi-autonomous region as a source of revenue, rather than relying entirely on revenue generated by exporting crude oil abroad. Efforts not only include the development of resorts and hotels, but also experiences that give its capital a ‘cosmopolitan’ feel.

Editing by Nadia Riva

(Additional reporting by Kurdistan 24 correspondent Zardashti Hami)