PHOTOS: Over six decades of Kibbeh-making in Erbil

Mam Sayid Kamal prepares his famous Kibbeh. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Rebaz Siyan)
Mam Sayid Kamal prepares his famous Kibbeh. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Rebaz Siyan)
Sayid Kamal of Erbil has made and sold Kibbeh for over six decades

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – White-bearded Sayid Kamal, who family and friends call Mam Kamal, has been making Kibbeh for over six decades in the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil, making him one of the oldest vendors in the city.

Mam Kamal was born in 1940 in Erbil. He began making Kibbeh when he was 12 years old. Kamal now owns a small vendor in Erbil’s old Bata street.

“Whenever people from other Kurdistan Region provinces visit Erbil, they stop by to have Kibbeh,” Kamal says, highlighting the demand for the famous Mediterranean dish he makes.  

Kibbeh is one of the traditional cuisines in the Middle East, prepared with seasoned grounded meat and grains. Each country in the region has its own special recipe for making the dish. Some use rice instead of grounded grain, for instance.

The price of Kibbeh varies from 1,000 IQD ($ 0.85) to 10,000 IQD ($8.40), according to the 80-year-old Kamal.

Mam Sayid Kamal prepares his famous Kibbeh. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Rebaz Siyan)
Mam Sayid Kamal.
Mam Sayid Kamal.
Mam Sayid Kamal.
Mam Sayid Kamal.

Photos: Kurdistan 24/Rebaz Siyan

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany