Restoration of Iraqi poet Badr Shakir Al Sayyab's home - in pictures

  • Architect Dimah Al Khweder, 25, granddaughter of Iraqi poet Badr Shakir Al Sayyab pieces together its past through family stories and tries to preserve the spirit of a vanished world. All photos: Unesco
    Architect Dimah Al Khweder, 25, granddaughter of Iraqi poet Badr Shakir Al Sayyab pieces together its past through family stories and tries to preserve the spirit of a vanished world. All photos: Unesco
  • Al Sayyab’s house had been neglected and left closed for years, while previous restoration attempts – in the 1980s, around 2000 and again in 2013 – failed to fully restore its original form
    Al Sayyab’s house had been neglected and left closed for years, while previous restoration attempts – in the 1980s, around 2000 and again in 2013 – failed to fully restore its original form
  • By the 1980s, only the northern section of the house remained, while its interior had largely collapsed. Later restoration work was done without a clear understanding of the original boundaries and layout
    By the 1980s, only the northern section of the house remained, while its interior had largely collapsed. Later restoration work was done without a clear understanding of the original boundaries and layout
  • With funding from the European Union, the UN cultural agency Unesco is restoring the poet’s childhood home in partnership with Iraq's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, and transforming it into a cultural centre and literary museum
    With funding from the European Union, the UN cultural agency Unesco is restoring the poet’s childhood home in partnership with Iraq's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, and transforming it into a cultural centre and literary museum
  • The project is part of a wider Unesco-backed programme to revive the old quarters and important landmarks in Basra and the northern city of Mosul
    The project is part of a wider Unesco-backed programme to revive the old quarters and important landmarks in Basra and the northern city of Mosul
  • With no photographs to rely on, the architects turned to family members and people who knew some of the house details
    With no photographs to rely on, the architects turned to family members and people who knew some of the house details
  • For Iraq, the project raises a broader question about whether the country's heritage can be preserved before the places that produced its artists, writers and thinkers disappear
    For Iraq, the project raises a broader question about whether the country's heritage can be preserved before the places that produced its artists, writers and thinkers disappear
  • The house is a traditional rural structure and the team is using the same types of materials, but with higher-quality and more durable versions
    The house is a traditional rural structure and the team is using the same types of materials, but with higher-quality and more durable versions
  • The team has imported new timber, known locally as jandal, for the roof, while retaining the traditional mud bricks and flooring, known as farshi
    The team has imported new timber, known locally as jandal, for the roof, while retaining the traditional mud bricks and flooring, known as farshi
  • The roof presented one of the biggest challenges because of the condition of its wooden beams
    The roof presented one of the biggest challenges because of the condition of its wooden beams
  • The original rooms have largely been preserved, with their functions adapted for the new cultural centre
    The original rooms have largely been preserved, with their functions adapted for the new cultural centre
  • Architectural render of the inner courtyard
    Architectural render of the inner courtyard
  • Render of a library inside the house
    Render of a library inside the house
  • Render of portrait wall showing Al Sayyab from childhood to his last days
    Render of portrait wall showing Al Sayyab from childhood to his last days