Two weeks in Iraq
 

I recently returned from spending two weeks in Iraq (plus a 3 day layover in Qatar afterwards). Much of my travel is to the less popular corners of the world (see past trips reports to Afghanistan, west Africa, central Asia & Mauritania), so this wasn't that unusual of a destination for me. To be honest, Iraq was actually a last minute decision after some pandemic related chaos made my plans to visit Chad fall apart just weeks before hand. Despite that, the trip went quite well, and I experienced a decent chunk of Iraq. The trip was arranged by a tour company based in Erbil, Kurdistan, with half the trip in southern (Arab) Iraq, and the other half in Kurdistan. I had a guide and/or driver throughout, although my time in the evenings was free to do as I wished.

Getting to and into Iraq was a relatively painless experience. I flew on Qatar Air (via Doha) into Baghdad, where Iraq recently started issuing visas on arrival (for many nationalities) earlier this year.

My time in southern (Arab) Iraq included:

• seeing sites in and around Baghdad, including Ctesiphon, the Iraq Museum & Martyr's Monument
• the old mosque and spiral minaret of Samara
• the ancient city of Babylon and Saddam's old palace
• the holy city and shrines in Karbala
• the shrines and cemetery of Najaf
• the ancient city of Ur
• exploring the marshes of southeastern Iraq

After southern Iraq we drove back to Baghdad from Nassiriyah, and flew on Iraqi Air up to the capital of Kurdistan, Erbil. Baghdad's airport has some crazy bonkers security (possibly more than Kabul before the Taliban re-took the country earlier this year). We had to clear 4 layers of security, starting 2km away from the terminal, and ending at the gate. The flight itself was a non-event, departing a few minutes late and landing early. It was a relatively recent 737, with drinks and a snack for a barely 90 minute flight.

My time in Iraqi Kurdistan included:

• the old town of Akre
• the Yazedi holy town of Lalish
• Amediya, and Saddam's Gara mountain estate
• Barzan gorge and Shanidar cave
• Sites in and around Sulymaniya, including the museum documenting the torture of the Kurds
• Halabja (where Saddam gassed the Kurds) and Ahmed Awa waterfall (where Iran captured 3 Americans for supposedly crossing the border)
• The Koy Sinjak caravanserai
• Sites around Erbil including the citadel
• a day trip out to Mosul, which was occupied and largely destroyed by ISIS

The differences between southern Iraq & Kurdistan were often quite stark. There's a lot of money & development flowing into Kurdistan (especially Erbil), and it shows with western chains, excellent roads and a much higher standard of living. Southern Iraq still feels very much stuck in time, struggling to escape the effects of two US invasions and decades of Saddam's rule. Lots of security checkpoints (and heavily armed police) everywhere, and I was even detained by Iraqi secret police for 30 minutes outside of Nasariya, where their limited English made the interrogation more amusing than effective. Despite this, people were generally friendly and welcoming everywhere, even if English proficiency was limited outside the major cities. Iraq is a fascinating country with millennia of history, and some gorgeous scenery (particularly in Kurdistan).

What follows are some of the photographic highlights of the trip:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5370a57116.jpg
the martyr's monument in Baghdad
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...1769c751b5.jpg
the minaret and original grand mosque of Samara
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...f3b50a89aa.jpg
what remains of Mosul, following air strikes on ISIS
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...69649fb527.jpg
The ruins of a 19th century Mosul church, after ISIS intentionally destroyed it
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7d9c1254a2.jpg
the ancient city of Babylon
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...cb551bafe1.jpg
Najaf shrine
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...7e456b08dc.jpg
the holiest Shia muslim shrine
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fd89da8867.jpg
Gara mountain, Kurdistan
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...dda1b9eb16.jpg
driving west to Sulaymaniyah
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...78d937d0df.jpg
Koy Sinjaq thousand year old caravanserai
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...c74df6f873.jpg
pilgrims at the shrine
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9950ceb0e5.jpg
world's largest cemetery, Najaf
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...29e010cb5f.jpg
Ukaydir fortress
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5aa0ee5b3d.jpg
Ctesiphon
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...338d8cabee.jpg
Al Zubara fortress, Qatar

I have many additional

Thanks for sharing! the pictures are beautiful.

The photos are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for posting.

Agreed - beautiful photography of a country not often visited, certainly not on FT - thank you so much for sharing them! That image from Ctesiphon is quite something, I'm ashamed to say I had never heard of it.

thanks!

thank you


I had never heard of Ctesiphon before going there either. While Iraq does have some famous ancient places, its got a lot that are completely unknown to most foreigners.

Thanks for the report netllama, beautiful pics indeed.

Thank you!

Phenomenal! Thank you so much for posting these...

Incredible photos. Thank you for sharing, netllama!

-FlyerBeek

Glad you enjoyed them!


Thanks!

Incredible photographs! Thank you very much for sharing.

Thanks!

Thank you!
great photos.

how long did your meeting with the secret Police take place?

how much time did you allow for the 4 layers of airport security, starting with the gate that was 2-km away? Did USA or Iraqi or Qatari people carry out security at the gate? Actually reminds me of gate security I had in China / Germany in recent decades.

The Iraqi secret police meeting was around 20 minutes.

The Baghdad airport security process took about 20 minutes from the start until we entered the terminal.

I flew out of SFO, and there is no gate security there. Both Baghdad and Doha airports had another security screening at the gate.

Simply Beautiful, and some sadness... Thank you for sharing!

Michael