Destinations
Click on the map bullets to direct you to the location!
Erbil
Erbil was voted to be the "Arab Tourism Capital" in 2014 by the Arab Tourism Committee. This city is the capital of Kurdistan Regional Government.
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The Erbil Citadel in the center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It locally referred to as Qelat. It is an occupied mound with evidence of life as early as 5th millennium BC. This city was a major center fro Christianity until 1258 when the Mongols captured the Citadel.
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There are many different museums such as the Erbil Civilization Museum, the Kurdish Textile Center, Syriac Heritage Museum, Erbil Stones and Gemstones Museum, and Museum and Archive of Education.
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Ur
This city has a strong ancient religion background where it was the site of biblical floods, tough kings, and pieces of the ruins of Mesopotamia. The Ziggurat is a structure that was built to worship the Akkadian moon gods. This structure has high walls and steep stair cases constructed out of mud brick and baked brick.
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In ancient times this area was known for being a major port and controlling the trade of Mesopotamia. Cunieform texts have been recovered and used to explain the complex legal and social systems of this ancient state.
Baghdad
In recent years, this world treasure has suffered repeated bombings from insurgent groups. The Iraq museum has been opened up after 12 years of being closed due to lootings. This museum contains artifacts from different ancient civilizations.
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The famous bazaars of Baghdad have been reopening and springing into action. These bazaars have been known for copper, cafes, fancy birds, and much more.
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The Abbasid Palace is a beautiful building overlooking the Tigris River. This is one of the oldest remains and represents a time when the area was known as a center for education and trade.
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The center of the city is a fortified area known as the Green Zone, where the government buildings. palaces, and embassies are located
Karbala
This city is the home to the famous Shiite Muslim Imam Husayn shrine which is where the martyr Husayn ibn Ali died in 680 AD during the Battle of Karbala. This shrine is a site of a common pilgrimage for Shia Muslims. Due to this pilgrimage and shrine, this city is home to some intricate mosques. It is believed to be a site that Archangel Gabriel deemed sacred.
Hatra
This area is in the western deserts of the country. It is home to large ruins of columns and temples from the Parthian age. This area is recognized as a World Heritage site. Hatra was the capital of the first Arab Kingdom whose thick walls withstood attacks from the Roman Empire.
Dur-Kurigalzu
This city has ancient abandoned ruins that date back 3,500 years and was the center for the Cradle of Civilization in Southern Mesopotamia. This area has the ruins of the Ziggurat from the 14th century and was home to the Kassite kings.
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The ruins contain ornate stonework and mud-brick walls that rise high above the horizon. These ruins have been used as a marker for camel caravans on their way to Baghdad.
Sulaymaniyah
This city is one of the safer and more relaxed cities in the country and has been deemed safe to travel by foreign governments. Due to the location in the mountains in Northern Iraq, the climate is cooler than in other cities. This area is known for its art scene and having rich restaurants.
Babylon
This city is the site of ancient empires, hanging gardens, battles between different empires. This area had been reopened for archeological study and tourism, however, the famous Ishtar Gate is a recreation as the real one was taken to a museum in Europe. This particular city dates back to 2300 BC and was the heart of society and religion.
Ctesiphon
This city was a small Perian settlement in the Tigris River in the 4th century BC. In the first century AD it became the Parthian Capital and grew into the city of Seleucia. This city grew to be one of the biggest cities in the region and was where the Arch of Ctesiphon was built. This Sassanid dome is one of the largest of the kind in the world and is one of the most important archeological sites in the region.
