In 1973, President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr ordered the construction of the Erbil Observatory with three telescopes on the top of Mount Korek (2066 m). Unfortunately, the Iranian rockets launched during the Iran–Iraq War destroyed the partly-built observatories. Nowadays, you can take a 3670-meter-long cable car (🎫 10000 IQD/return) from an altitude of 724 m to the Korek Resort, located at 1690 m.
“The Korek Mountain Resort & Spa” was developed as an international destination, including 132 villas, several fun rides, and two ski slopes. From there, you can get excellent panoramic views and spot the end of Rwandz Gorge.
Parking location – Korek: 36.608068N 44.493295E (🚻)