Introducing IRAQ:
Mesopotamia - the core of modern Iraq - The ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians all developed great empires in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Later on, it was ruled by the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, and the Ottoman turks. This land, with all that it holds, can offer visitors a lifetime of one of a kind experiences that you can cherish forever. Baghdad evolved Into a significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center for the Islamic world. This, in addition to housing several Key academic institutions, as well as hosting multiethnic and multi-religious environment, garnered the city a worldwide reputation as the “Centre of Learning".
• Iraq in Arabic means ‘the fertile’.
• Noak’s ark is believed to have been built in modern-day Iraq.
• The traditional music of Iraq, maqam, is based on Arabic poetry.
Islam. Muslims make up 95% of the population, with considerably more Shiites than Sunni. Others are Christians who belong to various sects, including Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syrian and Roman Catholics, Orthodox Armenians and Jacobite's. Other religious minorities are the Yezidis and the Sabaeans, or Mandaeans, who are followers of John the Baptist.
Owing to a long and varied history, Iraq is a culturally rich country. Today, traditional Islamic culture predominates, with Koranic law playing an active role in the day-to-day life of the country, and visitors should be careful to respect this and act accordingly. Visitors should always address their hosts by full name and title.
80% Arabic (ofcial). Other languages spoken include Kurdish, Persian, Chaldean, Assyrian and Armenian. English is quite widely spoken in urban centers. In the northern region known as Iraqi Kurdistan, many people, especially younger Kurds, will speak only Kurdish with no Arabic. Although, English is widely spoken in towns.
World Heritage Sites in IRAQ
Located on the Tigris and dating from the 3rd millennium BCE, Ashur was the first capital of the Assyrian Empire and the religious centre of the Assyrians. Following its destruction by the Babylonians, the city was briefly revived during the Parthian period
at Nineveh Governorate, The fortified Parthian city of Hatra withstood repeated attacks by the Roman Empire in the 2nd century. Its architecture reflects both Hellenistic and Roman influences
Located at Saladin Governorate on the Tigris, the Islamic city of Samarra was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. It contains two of the largest mosques and several of the largest palaces in the Islamic world, in addition to being among the finest example of Abbasid-era town-planning
Located in southern Iraq, the site contains three cities of Sumerian origin, namely Uruk, Ur and Eridu, in addition to four wetland areas in the Iraqi Marshlands
Located at Babylon governorate, A former capital of Hammurabi, Babylon grew to become the largest settlement in ancient Mesopotamia during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II
Situated on the top of a tell in Iraqi Kurdistan and overlooking the city of Erbil, the Erbil Citadel constitutes a typical example of Ottoman-era urban-planning. In addition to its 19th century fortifications, the site also contains remains dating back to the Assyrian period
Enterainment
When you visit Iraq , you should give yourself the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in every experience and appreciate every memorable spot that you visit.
Start your adventure by visiting the Iraqi museum in Baghdad , take a deep breath and dive in an ocean full of thousands of years of history to gain a deeper insight into the ancient civilizations that used to inhabit this land . Then , take a quick tour to the Baghdadi museum and have a look at how the people of Baghdad used to live their daily lives in the past.
After your deep dive into history , explore more into the present by visiting Baghdad tower in harthiya , located at 14th Ramadan street in mansour , and abou nawaas street as well , where you can hear fairytales about its famous ,
‘’ one thousand and one nigth ‘’ statue explore the exciting nightlife of jadriya in Baghdad , Ain kawa in erbil , or sarnchar and salim street in sulimaniya .
Not only will it be a time to remember , but you’ll instantly feel at home in the land of Iraq .
Restaurents & Cafe
Restaurant franchises rank amongst the top 10 best businesses in Iraq throughout recent years. You'll enjoy your time in Iraq with a great variety of different international cuisines such as: Lebanese, Syrian, Indian, Chinese, and Italian. Well not forget to give you some tips on what to try with the Iraqi cuisine.
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Try the traditional Iraqi fish (Maskouf), Dolma, Beryani , and Pachaa We're sure that you'll spend most of your savings on food and beverages, because this country has the most delicious traditional dishes in the region, and quite simply, you won’t be able to resist! You'll easily gain some extra pounds to take home with you!
Nature and Culture
If you're looking for riverside stay, a mountain view dinner, or a Sahara adventure, you'll find them all in Iraq! The geography of Iraq is diverse and falls into five main regions: the desert (west of the Euphrates), Upper Meso- potamia (between the upper Tigris and Euphrates rivers), the northern highlands of Iraq, Lower Mesopotamia, and the alluvial plain, which extends from around Tikrit to the Arabian Gulf.
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If you're in Baghdad, located along the Tigris River, you can stay on Abu Nawass street to enjoy the cold breeze all year around.
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Sulaymaniah is one of the most welcoming and relaxed cities in Iraq.
Located on the rugged mountains in northern Iraq, the cool climate makes it an ideal location as opposed to other regions of the coun- try. Also, be sure to pay a visit to Dukan lake. Located approximately 1 hour away from Sulaymaniah city, visitors can take advantage of the various BBQ and picnic spots, as well as the number of adjacent restaurants that line the lake.
Shopping
Iraq offers a wide array of options when it comes to shopping, starting from more affordable boutique products to international designer brands. If you're looking for a modern touch, your destination should most certainly be Baghdad Mall, Babylon Mall,or Mansour all in Baghdad.
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If you're in Erbil, you can visit Majidi Mall or Family Mall , where you'll find all of the modern amenities, products, and goods that you could ever need. If you were looking to shop tools, furniture, or any other products with good quality and cheap prices, your destination should be Shoorjah, one of the busiest souks in old Baghdad. From Shoorjah, you'll be able to visit Souk El Ghazal, Rasheed Street, and Mutanabi Street to enrich your experience by traveling through some of the oldest streets in the city of Baghdad.
Parks
In Iraq, there are tons of options for nightlife and entertainment, but there are also a number of public parks to explore.
Many of Iraq’s public parks feature tremendous and expansive green areas with amusement sections, Zoos, and lakes for water activities.
If you're in Baghdad, you can visit Zawraa Park, located in Karkh near the Green Zone.
In Erbil, there is another park where visitors can take in some of the fresh cold air outside of the city. The Sami Abdulrahman Park is always a popular destination for tourists and residents alike. There's also Minaret Park, which has a teleferic that offers visitors a unique view over the city. And we also can't forget about Sarchnar Park in Sulaymaniah and Azadi Park in Douhok.Iraq is full of expansive public spaces that are always worth a visit on a nice day.
Religious Tourism
Religious tourism is one of the most popular forms of tourism in Iraq, with tens of millions of tourists from several countries visiting the various holy cities and religious sites located in Iraq every year. These include the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, the Al Abbas Holy Shrine and Imam Hussain’s Shrine in Karbala, Hassan Al Askari in Samara, Mousa Ibn Jaffar in Al-Kadhimiya Mosque, Abou Hanifa Mosque, and Abul Qader Al Qailani Mosque in Baghdad. In addition, 30 million pilgrims make their passage to the town of Karbala each year.
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The area is sacred to Shiite Muslims because of the Imam Hussain Shrine, which is the final resting place of the martyr, Hussain ibn Ali, who died in 680 AD during the Battle of Karbala.
It is also said to be the spot that the archan- gel, Gabriel, deemed one of the most sacred places on earth.
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As such, this town sees thou- sands of devotees arrive for the Ashura Day of Atonement each and every year.
Iraq holds not only Muslim shrines, but also shrines and sites from other religions as well, such as the Armenian Orthodox Church in Baghdad, Mar Matti Monastery and Rabban, Hormizd Monastery in Mousl, and Lalish in Duhok.
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The strength of the land of Iraq lies in the various religions and cultures that have settled here. This rich and vibrant diversity has created a wonder- ful image for the most vivid instances of human coexis- tence.