BASRA, Iraq - In a narrow alley of Basra’s old marketplace, handmade goods are being shipped to Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, not through e-commerce sites or digital platforms, but from a tiny shop that sells woven palm-leaf mats, handmade brooms, and clay pots.

Mohammed Hussein, the owner of the oldest traditional goods shop in Basra, stands surrounded by stacks of mats, brooms, baskets, and trays made by hand from palm fronds. He does not hang signs or call out to attract customers. His quiet presence and his goods speak for themselves.

“These trays aren’t just sold in Basra,” Hussein told The New Region as he brushed dust off a large tray. “Families from Kuwait order them. They use them every day or hang them as decorations. I send them based on size and style, but the most important thing is that they are made in Abu al-Khasib, real, not fake.”

While many traditional crafts have disappeared, Hussein’s shop has become a cultural spot. It draws not only people from Basra, but also customers from the Gulf who miss the items they grew up with, like clay pots that cool water without electricity and mats that once gathered families for meals.

“People in Kuwait ask for custom trays and fans,” Hussein said. “Sometimes they want special writing like ‘Ramadan Kareem’ or their family name. I have a customer in Bahrain who orders the same sticky mat every year.” 

“My mother used to sit on one like this. When I see it, it takes me back in time,” Hussein recalled that customer as telling him.

Hussein does not use Instagram or run an online store. He takes orders through phone calls and WhatsApp messages. He packs the goods himself and ships them to the Gulf using shipping agents.

“Just a few days ago, someone in Qatar ordered 25 trays for Ramadan decorations, all in different sizes and colors,” he said. “I told them, ‘You got it. Just let me check what Abu al-Khasib has ready.’”

Even though plastic brooms are everywhere, customers still ask for the handmade palm brooms. 

“These brooms clean plants before they dry up. They sweep dust without breaking,” Hussein said, placing one on a wooden shelf. “People buy them by the dozen, especially before Ramadan.”

Items like the dark mat, the yellow turmeric-colored mat, trays, baskets, and hand fans may sound unfamiliar to younger generations. But for many in Basra and the Gulf, they are more than tools, they are memories.

“Each item had its use,” Hussein said. “The large basket was for big meals, the small one for garlic, another one for sweets. These pieces weren’t just household items, they were part of life.”

Despite steady demand, Hussein faces growing challenges. Rent is going up, raw materials are getting expensive, local craftsmen are hard to find, and many young people do not understand the value of these traditional items.

“If we do not support this now, it will disappear tomorrow,” he said. “This shop has been here since the 1950s. I still spend more on it than I make. But I keep going. This is more than just a business, it is a message.”