Located in the far north of Iraq, nestled between Iran and Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan is today a safe but turbulent region, home to some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the Middle East, composed of green mountains with snow-capped peaks that, definitely, will break with all the stereotypes you have about Iraq.
Iraqi Kurdistan is no desert, and it is one of the safest countries in the Middle East and the ultimate destination for travelers who are willing to meet the Kurds, a very proud, brave, and hospitable nation.
Khanzad Castle, also called Banaman Castle, is located on the road between Erbil and Shaqlawa. It was constructed during the time of the Kurdish Soran Emirate in the 16th century under the rule of Princess Khanzad and her brother Prince Suleiman Beg. For seven years, she ruled over two...
Shrine of Raban Boya It is situated in Shaqlawa at the foot of the Safeen Mountains. Christians know the cave as Rabanboya, while Muslims call it Sheikh Wso Rahman. We took a taxi to the parking (10000 IQD), and from there, we hiked for around 20 minutes the steep hill up to the cave. It...
We stopped overnight by the „touristic“ Geli Ali Beg waterfall (🎫 1000 IQD). It is the highest waterfall in the Kurdistan Region and all of Iraq. It is about 12 meters high, located beside Korek Mount, which is 2,076 meters above sea level. The waterfall is the crosspoint of three rivers:...
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...
We drove the upper newly built road Nr. 3 around the original lower “Hamilton Road.” The strategic road across Southern Kurdistan to the Iranian border was constructed between 1928 and 1932 by A. M. Hamilton, the principal engineer of the British Empire. Although Hamilton...
The city’s history of Rawanduz dates back to the seventh century BC and boasts several Christian villages and archaeological sites. Surrounded by majestic mountains, Rawanduz is home to the deepest gorge in the Middle East. Flanked by vertiginous rock walls, the Rawanduz River snakes its...
Our drive through Eastern Kurdistan.
The town of Akre, the capital of Newroz, lit up on Monday evening as fireworks filled its skies with over a hundred thousand people in the area to celebrate the Kurdish New Year by lighting fires. Despite the cold and windy weather, 2,723 torches were lit in Akre for the occasion as a...
We spent two nights in the breathtakingly beautiful little historic town of Akre. The town was built on the side of a mountain range at the edge of the Nineveh Plains by the Kurdish Prince Zand in 580 BC. It was traditionally a mixed town of Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Nowadays, Akre...
Our feet froze during the visit to Lalish, the holiest temple of the Yazidis dates back about 4000 years. It’s located in the mountain valley above Shekhan town among three mountains, Hizrat in the west, Misat in the south, and Arafat in the north. Shekhan had the second-largest...