TOP PICKS FOR YOU

ERBIL

The 7,000 year old citadel of Erbil has an illustrious history and can be compared to other greats like Cadiz and Byblos. The massive castle in the center of the city is the great highlight here, and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

UR

Ur is known for its Biblical tales of epic floods and fearsome Babylonian kings, and is also known for one of the most beautiful ancient ruins in the region.

BAGHDAD

It goes without saying that the city of Baghdad has suffered in recent times due to incessant bombing and attacks by insurgent groups.

FAQ

• What is so spacial about Iraq? >

  The culture of Iraq is one of the world's oldest cultural histories and is considered one of the most influential cultures in the world. The region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is often referred to as the Cradle of civilization. The country is known for its poets، architects، painters and sculptors who are among the best in the region, some of them being world-class.

• Fun facts about Iraq >

  1. Not much is known about its origins, but several sources claim that the superstition of black cats first originated in Iraq. Elsewhere, however, you can read that it was introduced by Germanic people or the ancient Greeks. 2.The cuneiform script came into the world in southern Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq, 3400 BC. It was originally developed to record the language of the Sumerians and appeared even earlier than Egyptian hieroglyphics. 3. In the memory of Iraqi soldiers who dies durig the Iraq-iran war, a monument-al-shaheed monument- was built in baghad. Shaped like an egg split open with an eternal flame in the middle, it houses the names, weapon, and clothing of some of the soldiers. 4. In early June, extreme drought uncovered an ancient Bronze Age city on the banks of the Tigris River. The city which is dating back to the mysterious Mittani Empire, is up to 3,400 years old. It was flooded in the 1980s by the Mosul (formerly Saddam) Dam

• What language is spoken in here? >

  Today Iraq has the world's second largest known reserves of oil. While Arabic is the official language there are some minority groups including a large Kurdish- speaking population in the North. The official state religion of Iraq is Islam.

• Why you should add it to your bucket list? >

  Traveling to Iraq is a trip of a lifetime. Iraq is without a doubt the most misunderstood nation in the Western world. It’s almost as if the past 20 years of conflict completely erased the Iraq that existed before. In our minds, at least. That Iraq was in the top 5 education systems in the entire world, with a nearly 100% literacy rate. Since 2017, Iraq has been on the upswing. Rebuilding the broken systems Saddam left behind. Tourism is back. And it’s bound to be booming.