The opening of the Awqaf Bridge in the center of Ramadi, which was inaugurated a few days ago, sparked a wave of widespread criticism among the people of Anbar, as a number of them considered that the project distorted the facade of the Grand State Mosque, which is one of the most prominent historical and religious landmarks in the city .
A number of citizens pointed out There was poor planning in choosing the location of the bridge and its designs, which negatively affected the urban appearance of the area. Instead of the project contributing to the development of the city and improving its infrastructure, it had the opposite effect of distorting the beauty of Islamic landmarks and reducing the attractiveness of the site .
In this regard, civil activist Iyad Al-Rawi said, “The engineering designs that were adopted in Anbar Governorate were met with sharp criticism,” noting that “there are major problems in planning and choosing the places designated for bridges and roundabouts .”
Al-Rawi stressed that “the governorate suffers from the absence of a well-thought-out plan that organizes and accurately identifies the locations for implementing these vital projects .”
He explained that “some of the designs that were implemented in the city, such as those related to small roundabouts and bridges, distort the general view of the governorate,” noting that “one of the recent projects in the city was supposed to be more in harmony with the city’s environment, but the poor choice of location and method of implementation were the main reason for these criticisms .”
Al-Rawi added, “This type of project does not suit the city’s needs and lacks a comprehensive study of its impact on traffic and aesthetic appearance .”
“The current designs focus only on temporary solutions without considering the long-term impacts on the city’s infrastructure and urban planning, ” he added.
For his part, journalist Omar Hussein saw that “the Awqaf Bridge in the center of Ramadi is a witness to visual and engineering distortion,” expressing his “dissatisfaction with its design, which he described as unbalanced between the practical and aesthetic aspects .”
Hussein stressed that “any successful architectural design must achieve a balance between its practical function and its visual beauty,” noting that “the absence of this balance shows a clear imbalance .”
“If the project does its job, but creates visual distortion and tension in the final image, that is a malfunction, and if the design is beautiful but has no practical benefit, that is also a malfunction ,” he added.
Hussein pointed out that “the government allocates large sums of money to implement such projects, but the results on the ground show engineering designs that lack comprehensive thinking .”
He expressed his astonishment that “these problems appear in the presence of engineering competencies in decision-making positions,” saying: “We live today in a period known as the government of engineers, and yet we see such projects .”
In this context, citizen Ahmed Sabbar said that the Awqaf Bridge project in Anbar Governorate is nothing more than an urban show, without considering its true value in terms of serving and developing society .
He pointed out that “the project has led to the loss of the facade of one of the most important and beautiful mosques in Anbar, which reflects a disregard for the cultural and architectural aspects .”
“The project could have been more beneficial if it had been transformed into a large square in front of the mosque, which would have provided a wide view of the place and allowed for the development of the mosque itself. Thus, the square could have been transformed into a wonderful urban space in line with the city’s identity and history, and extending with the mosque in a way that would enhance its position in the community, ” Jassim added.
He pointed out that “the basic idea of the project could have contributed to improving the general appearance and achieving balanced urban development, but the implementation on the ground was not in line with this vision .”
It is noteworthy that these criticisms have found wide resonance among the city’s residents, as these designs have been widely attacked, while any objection to these projects by some is considered an attack or conspiracy against the officials.
