playgrounds / Parks / Amusement parks in Iraq

[sheytanElKebir]

There are many new amusement parks across the provinces of Iraq.

In samawa I noticed 3
In Nassiriya I saw 3 (one large and one smaller)
Several in and around Hilla.

etc...

[sheytanElKebir]

I created this thread so we can document all the new parks, amusement parks and such facilities in Iraq.

One of the major things happening in Iraq is the construction of playgrounds and amusement parks. So lets document its progress here, since many are too small to warrant their own thread.

[sheytanElKebir]

Yesterday I saw a new amusement park under construction. Its on the Canal road (but not the old amusement park which was there before).

here's the location.
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=33.3374041...5&z=18&l=0&m=b


Note that it is just across the road from the old baghdad amusement park (which is being renovated now... perhaps it is an extension of it?)

[sheytanElKebir]

A new amusement park was opened recently in Mustansiriya (near the university). It has a ferris wheel and about a dozen rides as well as cafes/restaurants. Its called "madinat al a3lam"

location:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=33.3636365...5&z=17&l=0&m=b

[sheytanElKebir]

There are many new playgrounds being built around baghdad in places which were fields of dirt previously. These are everywhere. I do have some pics and will upload some examples.

[SumerianKing]

Good thread, thanks.

[SumerianKing]

Originally Posted by sheytanElKebir

A new amusement park was opened recently in Mustansiriya (near the university). It has a ferris wheel and about a dozen rides as well as cafes/restaurants. Its called "madinat al a3lam"

location:
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=33.3636365...5&z=17&l=0&m=b

I think I saw this place on tv. It had a KFC lool. Need to get some pictures.

[Chounz]

Originally Posted by sheytanElKebir

There are many new playgrounds being built around baghdad in places which were fields of dirt previously. These are everywhere. I do have some pics and will upload some examples.

That's good to hear.

[SumerianKing]

Sorry if this is old.

Construction begins on Mansouriya Amusement Park in Baghdad

By Khalid al-Taie in Baghdad

For Mawtani.com

Amanat Baghdad started construction on a new amusement park on the Rasafa side of Baghdad on Monday (October 31st) with the aim of increasing recreational facilities in the capital.

The Mansouriya Amusement Park, located in the Palestine Street area, is one of the leisure investment projects Amanat Baghdad contracted earlier this year.

"Amanat Baghdad is concerned with developing the tourist and entertainment life of Baghdad in view of the importance and the impact this has in reflecting the civilised face of the city, and in enhancing the efforts of security and stability by providing the means for rest, recreation and leisure for Baghdad families," Amanat Baghdad spokesperson Hakim Abdul Zahra told Mawtani.

The Iraqi Amal Hussein Company is constructing the project at an overall cost of about $400,000 within a period of six months.

The project covers an area of about five dunams and includes gardens, rides, cafes, fast food restaurants, and various service facilities.

"The Mansouriya Amusement Park will be a place for entertainment, leisure and fun for families in the Palestine Street area and nearby neighbourhoods," said Amir Ali Hasoon, media adviser to the Baghdad mayor.

Hasoon told Mawtani that Amanat Baghdad is working on attracting local investment companies and mobilizing all administrative and technical facilities to partake in the building and reconstruction efforts in Baghdad by carrying out service, recreational and tourist projects.
More recreational projects under way

Amanat Baghdad granted numerous investment licenses this year for the construction of various recreational projects. Work on these projects has reached advanced stages, such as the Sindibad Land project under construction at the Rasafa Amusement Park.

The Sindiband Land project is estimated to cost 25 billion dinars and is being built on an area of about 150,000 square meters. Amanat Baghdad officials hope the project will be opened sometime next year.

Other investment projects under way in Baghdad include the Second Zawra Park in the Shaab area on a plot of 1,000 dunams, the Gardens City project within the Northern Baghdad Forest on an area of 550 dunams, and the Water City project in the Sabiyat area on a plot of 350 dunams.

Many citizens have expressed satisfaction with Amanat Baghdad's efforts to build more recreational projects.

"We were very pleased to know that Amanat Baghdad intended to build an amusement park in our neighbourhood," said 29-year-old Ibtihal Haider, who lives in the Palestine Street area. "Families in the area need a place for recreation not too far from their homes."

Wissam Abdul Razak, 35, who lives in the Qahira quarter of Baghdad near the Mansouriya project, said existing recreational facilities are too crowded during peak times. "The main leisure places in Baghdad are usually crowded during the Eid holidays, and most of the streets leading to them are closed for security reasons, which makes it very difficult for residents from far away residential areas to reach those places and enjoy the facilities," he said.

"We support any policy to open additional tourist facilities so there will be outdoor areas for Baghdad's families."

[sheytanElKebir]

cool. great to know so many new amusement parks (sindbad land will be the name for the old amusement park being renovated, the one next to martyr's monument).

[Chounz]

Originally Posted by SumerianKing

The Sindiband Land project is estimated to cost 25 billion dinars and is being built on an area of about 150,000 square meters. Amanat Baghdad officials hope the project will be opened sometime next year.

Other investment projects under way in Baghdad include the Second Zawra Park in the Shaab area on a plot of 1,000 dunams, the Gardens City project within the Northern Baghdad Forest on an area of 550 dunams, and the Water City project in the Sabiyat area on a plot of 350 dunams.

The mansouriya park is really small but the projects above ^ sound really good.

1,000 dunams though?! That's crazy. That's 1,000,000 m^2 .. yes a million metres squared. That's incredibly huge. I don't think we need a park that big; space is scarce in Baghdad. We could use that space for so many other things.

I hope all those projects follow through but I'm not too sure about that '2nd zawraa park'. This is all good news anyway.

[FromBaghdadWithLove]

basra land

[Sinjar]

Erbil builds a second large park


Four worker of Dosti company install electricity network in Hewar project, Bnaslawa, Erbil./ GLOBE PHOTO/Ako Muhammed
Monday, 23 April 2012, 07:03 GMT, Kurdish Globe

Park completion occurring one stage at a time
A large block of land near Bnaslawa used for grazing sheep will soon become one of Erbil's prime recreation areas.

Hassan Ali Kirkuki guards and feeds his flock of sheep inside a fenced-in pasture; he takes them back to a settlement every night and noon. He uses this pasture temporarily because he will soon sell his sheep all together, but he also knows this fenced-in pasture near Bnaslawa and east of Erbil will soon become Hewar Park, something that will be "useful for the neighborhood."

The pasture will be transformed into a park in several stages. The current fence covers 520,000 square meters; thus, it will be the second largest park west of Erbil--eight times bigger than Shanadar Park in downtown Erbil.

Work is now ending on the first part of Hewar Park, which accounts for 40% of the land. Bnaslawa's old and new roads surround the park on both sides and a dry stream splits the park from the town's residential areas. On the other side of the park is a power station.

From the inside gate, the park is divided into two by two main paths that will soon be asphalted. The executive companies, Dosti and the Turkish EDA, are currently installing electricity and irrigation networks that are knee-level underground and deeper in some areas.

Areas between the main two paths and upward to the power station consist of clean soil. But downward to the stream, the soil is mostly stone. Project supervisors don't consider the stony soil a roadblock to growing flora.

The shepherd Kirkuki thinks that eucalyptus trees can survive in the area. "The stony soil could be much better than the red dirt," says Kirkuki, stressing the importance of good irrigation and fertilization. He owned an orchard in Shwan, near Kirkuk, before he was deported to Bnaslawa in the late 1980s. As for other trees that are new in Kurdistan--the same ones to be planted in the park--he isn't as sure of their usefulness.

The agricultural supervisor of the project, engineer Hawkar Dilshad, assured that the stony soil would not cause growth problems since they--the Directory of Erbil Parks--committed the executive companies to adding a 25-centimeter layer of clean soil to some limited locations inside the park. Another 15-centimeter layer of agricultural sand must be added to all of the land.

These layers "will totally solve the problem for grasses that will be planted," says the engineer. "As for the trees, they will be planted in digs that are also filled with clean soil and fertilizers."

Currently the added layers are less than 15 or even 10 centimeters; in some places it is thicker than standard. Head of the supervising committee, engineer Hiwa Ahmed, does not consider the thin layer as something that was overlooked by the companies, and he notes "the project hasn't yet been completed."

As planned, 600 eucalyptus trees will be planted around the park, according to information by the agriculture supervisor. Melia Azedarach will become the most frequent type with 800 trees. Two-hundred Brachychiton Populeum trees and 300 Cuperssus Arizonica trees will be planted as well, mostly beside the pathways. These types of trees, except for eucalyptus, are not indigenous to Kurdistan Region; regardless, they have been used a lot recently and have grown as expected during all four seasons.

Yards will become green with Iranian and Lebanese flowers as well as lawn grass. The area between the two main paths will be planted with Bermuda grass, which remains green year-round.

The cornerstone of this park--which will have details like fountains and play areas--was laid on December 27, 2010. A budget of 2 billion Iraqi dinars helped to complete the first stage in one year. Last year, an extra budget of 1 billion, 400 million--as well as lengthening the duration for completion--was suggested for the project. Stage two has not yet been completed.

Director of Erbil Parks, Nizar Omer, explains the delay is mainly because of two electricity lines, a 11 KV cable and a 33 KV cable, going under the park to nearby power stations. They caused a "big problem" for the sewage and pathways, says Omer. "We first didn't know they were there. We had twice announced a project to transform those cables, but no company applied because the dedicated budget was so small. We could only lift them after the third attempt."

After an extension of two months, the company has asked for another three months in order to compensate for lost time. But basic work of the first stage including asphalting walkways will end in two or three months, says Hiwa. Construction of the park office, its gate and water storage is already underway.

Planting will start in October, says Omer, who hopes for the park to be at least partially opened for visitors early next year. "Hewar Park creates a balance of green areas in Erbil. The big [Sami Abdulrahman] park is located in the west and some other parks have been built downtown; thus, Erbil was in need of such a big park in its eastern section," says Omer.

The directory is currently working on two other "important" projects--a park on 40,000 square meters in Badawa, also in eastern Erbil, and renovation of Gilkand Park next to Erbil International Hotel in the city center.

Thanks to the efforts of this directory, the rate of green land in Erbil reaches 6.5 percent, but they aim for more. Increasing green lands is not the government's responsibility alone, says Omer. People must raise trees too. "Home-building licenses should contain a condition that 10 to 15 square meters of gardens must be built with houses that are built on 200 square meters," suggests Omer, who believes that even two trees in every house can effectively increase the green rate.

[makaay31]

Najaf

تطوير مدينة العاب النجف

[sheytanElKebir]

thanks Makaay.! Samawa.

[makaay31]

There are two ferris wheels in Samawa btw, I will try to find a pic

[sheytanElKebir]

there are 3 amusement parks 2 with a wheel. the other ferris wheel is small though.

[makaay31]

Aziziyah

Parks

[Sinjar]

Dijla City- Mosul

[Spin Cycle]

Originally Posted by sheytanElKebir

beautiful. I love how these types of displays/monuments are so common in Iraq.