The Qushla is an Ottoman site in Baghdad. It lays at Rusafa side near the Tigris River of the Iraqi capital. Also known as“the old Saray government”, it is one of Baghdad’s heritage buildings whose construction dates back to the second half of the 19th century AD, when Baghdad was a state of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish governor of Baghdad, Namek Pasha the Great, began the construction of this building in 1861 AD, and the building was finished after him by the next Wali Madhat Pasha. The Qushla was built by the Ottomans in order to serve as headquarters of their forces. The monumental tower of 23 meters high hosts a clock gifted by King George V of Britain.
Standing in the Serail Gardens, it was the seat of government from 1851 to 1889 when Iraq was under Ottoman rule, then British rule, then independence under the monarchy. It has since escaped political turmoil and conflict. Nowadays, the Qushla has become a cultural space and an art hub for Iraqis to enjoy music, poetry, drawing, and sculpture. Surrounded by palm trees and lush green lawns, it is a place where school children roam and play, people pose for pictures, and watch the sun turn the river into a huge mirror.
