One of the Iraqi city of Najaf’s most famous landmarks is finally set to be restored after half a century of neglect.
The Khan Al Shilan building was once the local headquarters for Ottoman adminstration before being used as a prison by the British after the First World War.
According to French press agency AFP, the local authority will turn the building into a museum commemorating the city’s heritage. The conversion will be completed by the end of the year said the agency.
Khan Al Shilan, which housed the city’s first electrical generator and was later used as a mill, covers 1,500 sqm and its decaying facade hides Islamic designs which will be restored.
