In a full-day leisure tour under the slogan “Basra is harsh only on strangers”, the participants of the “With Dialogue We Endure and Rise” camp, implemented by Masarat Foundation for Cultural and Media Development in partnership with KAICIID and the House of Coexistence, explored various areas of Basra.
The tour began at Al-Wufud Street, where the campers had lunch in the street’s charming restaurants. They then visited Old Basra, where they admired the unique Basra-style shanasheel (traditional wooden lattice windows), learning about this architectural style, its history, and distinctive features.
Next, the campers strolled along the banks of the Al-Ashar River, enjoyed Basra-style tea at Razouna Café, and learned about the cultural and artistic activities hosted there. The café serves as a central gathering place for Basra’s artists and intellectuals, and they explored the heritage-rich corners of the location, reflecting the depth of Basra’s cultural heritage.
The campers then proceeded to the Al-Ashar Heritage Market, journeying among the spices and incense.
Later, the group visited Shatt Al-Arab at Basra Corniche at night and the statue of Badr Shakir Al-Sayyab, capturing commemorative photos at the monument of Basra’s most famous poet and its devoted admirer. The participants also took a riverboat tour along the banks of Shatt Al-Arab.
In the evening, dinner was held at Shanasheel Restaurant, one of Basra’s most prominent and modern establishments, which includes a museum showcasing Basra’s historical artifacts—from kitchen utensils to vehicles, household and office tools, and handcrafted items representing the city’s diverse traditional industries.
To experience the city’s security level, the campers spent the night strolling in small groups through Basra’s safe streets until dawn before departing toward Abu Al-Khasib, where the camp resumed its dialogue journey.
It is worth noting that the #With_Dialogue_We_Endure_and_Rise camp was launched in Baghdad with the participation of youth from Sinjar, later joined by youth from Baghdad in its first phase, and then continued to Basra, where young men and women from the city joined the team. The program will soon continue its journey across other Iraqi cities, aiming to promote dialogue as a mechanism for peacebuilding among followers of different religions and for rejecting hate speech.
