Najwa O’Hara, Iraq native, brought her innate artifacts to the main floor of the Lamson Library. The exhibit consists of 20 photographs and multiple items. The exhibit was put up on Sept. 10 and will be on display until Sept. 30.
O’Hara is originally from Mosul, Iraq just northwest of Baghdad. She attended The University of Monsul earning an A.A.S; she is currently attending PSU as a MBA student and a member of the Business Department’s Fellowship Program. PSU library’s site notes “Her jobs as an Arabic special tutor, translator, interpreter and executive assistant for international companies in numerous countries exposed her to other cultures and taught her how to respect and appreciate the differences between people.”
The culture has changed significantly with Iraq, being one of the oldest historical countries with historical value. The exhibit hits on subjects, which aren’t commonly covered in typical displays. It physically shows the different utensils used during a time for something to eat as well as some of the spices used in traditional meals.
Some of the items on display in the exhibit are things such as a honey container and an ibreek silver pitcher. The honey container is wooden and was used to carry honey in Iraq 50 years ago. The artifacts are not only interesting but also have significant as well as vintage value. The Iraq cuisine has significantly changed and has become much different since the time of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians. Some bourgeois décor includes some copper art and an al-mahafa, a manual fan made of date palm trees. Other items are related to some of the cuisine that Iraqi culture has to offer, things such as a photo of a spice market, some cardamon and different examples of coffee. The coffee and cardamon are often mixed together. Cardamon can also be mixed with tea giving the tea a strong, unique taste. Using an istikan, a small cup that i culture.