Iraq
Iraq (Arabic: العراق Kurdish: کۆماری عێراق ) is a country in the West of Asia. It lies at the north end of the Persian Gulf and has a small (58km) coastline in the southeast of the country. It is surrounded by Iran to the east, Kuwait to the south, Saudi Arabia to the southwest, Jordan to the west, Syria to the northwest, and Turkey to the north. Iraq was the center of Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. The Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala are located in Iraq. Understand[edit]Iraq is the birthplace of many of the Earth's oldest civilizations, including the Babylonians and the Assyrians. A part of the Greek Macedonian empire from 300 BC, the Treaty of Sèvres brought the area under British control in 1918. Iraq gained independence in 1932. On 14 July 1958, the long-time Hashemite monarchy was overthrown in a coup led by Abd al-Karim Qasim that paved the way to radical political reforms, including the legalization of political parties such as the Ba'ath and the Communist Party, both key players in the coup (also called the 14 July Revolution). Following this Revolution, the Soviet Union gradually became its main arms and commercial supplier. In February 1963, Qasim was overthrown and killed in a second coup that brought the Ba'ath Party into power. Internal divisions would follow for the next five years, until another coup on 17 July 1968 led by Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr (with Communist support) stabilized the party. Relations between the Communists and the Ba'athists ranged from mutual cooperation to violent mistrust, culminating in the purge of Communists from the army and the government by 1978, causing a temporary rift with the Soviet Union. On 16 July 1979, Bakr resigned and was succeeded by right-hand man Saddam Hussein, who carefully killed his enemies and became a dictator almost overnight. The next twenty-five years took a grinding toll on the country. A long war with neighboring Iran in the 1980s cost hundreds of thousands of lives and billions of dollars. The invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the subsequent Gulf War caused further casualties, followed by civil war inside the country and a decade of international sanctions. The northern part of the country is inhabited by the Kurdish people and is called Kurdistan. Iraq was invaded in 2003 by a mainly US-led coalition of forces, that removed Saddam Hussein from power. The northern part gained autonomy in 2005 and now it is called Kurdistan where the majority of Kurdish people live. Climate[edit]Most of Iraq has a hot arid climate. Summer temperatures average above 48°C (120°F) for most of the country and frequently exceed 49°C (121°F). Winter temperatures infrequently exceed 22°C (73°F) with maximums roughly 16 to 17°C (61 to 62°F) and night-time lows occasionally below freezing. Typically precipitation is low, most places receive less than 250mm (10 in) annually with maximum rainfall during the months of November to April. Rainfall during the summer is extremely rare except in the very north of Iraq. Regions[edit]
Cities[edit]
Other destinations[edit]
Get in[edit]
Citizens of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia can obtain a visa on arrival at the Basra and Al Najaf International Airports. If you fly into Iraq without an entry or working visa you risk getting deported (see below). The main rule is, except for nationals mentioned above, you have to get a visa in advance. However, according to the MFA website[1] a so-called urgent visa can be issued on arrival if, and only if, your circumstances made it impossible for you to get a visa in advance and you can convince the immigration officer of this. It is not known whether this facility is limited to certain ports of entry. Obtaining a travel visa to Iraq is complicated and time-consuming. You can obtain an application at the Embassy of Iraq. However, all applications are vetted in Baghdad. Even if you do obtain a visa, you may still be refused entry into Iraq once you arrive. Kurdistan region[edit]Visitors from the following countries/Areas; the EU, Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Iceland, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, San Marino, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, and Vatican City will get an entry stamp for max 30 days at Erbil or Sulaimaniyah International Airport for a few of 75-80USD. By plane[edit]Baghdad International Airport(IATA: BGW) is about 16km from the center of Baghdad.
Baghdad International Airport (BGW)[edit]Following flights are available :
Flights into the Kurdish region in northern Iraq arrive at Erbil International Airport. International carriers include Emirates, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and Qatar Airways which flies to Doha. The Kurdish Region, being relatively safer than the rest of Iraq, has seen enormous growth and investment since 2003, making Erbil a convenient destination for business in the region. By car[edit]Highways in Iraq are in good condition, nevertheless, it is recommended to use air travel for long-distance trips. From Turkey[edit]Driving in from Turkey is the best method of entry into the Northern part of the country. This area of the country is relatively safe, at least compared to the rest of the country. Border police and locals will advise you which cities are safe to travel in (Zakho, Dohuk, Erbil, As-Sulaymaniyah, etc.), and will warn you away from specific cities (such as Mosul). From Diyarbakir, Turkey you will drive southeast to Zakho, Iraq. It is possible to take a previously arranged taxi, the average cost of this taxi ride is $150 American dollars and most of the drivers only speak Kurdish or Arabic. You will often switch taxis in Silopi about five minutes from the Iraqi border, or you will change cars about 70km from the border and continue on from there. The taxi driver will then take care of all your paperwork at the border. This involves your driver running from building to building getting paperwork stamped and approved. You must have a photocopy of your passport for the Turkish section of the border, which they require that you leave with them (the photocopy, not your passport). A much less expensive option is to take a bus from Diyarbakir directly to Silopi. This won't cost more than about 20 YTL. From the Silopi otogar (bus station), it's easy to get a taxi to Zakho. A good taxi driver can handle all of the photocopying and paperwork for the Turkish side. At this point, you will finish driving across the border crossing into Iraq. Your taxi driver will then take you to the Iraqi immigration and customs section. All persons and vehicles entering Iraq must be searched for contraband by the customs officers, and their vehicles are registered and pay some sort of stamp tax, however, occasionally, searches are not conducted. Without this stamp tax, it is illegal for a non-Iraqi vehicle to purchase gas at any of the state-run gas stations all over the country. After paying any import duties to customs and receiving the vehicle stamp, the immigration officers will check your passport and stamp it if you have a visa. Additionally, at some land border crossings, your fingerprint and/or photo will be taken. As of July 2008, there was no visa fee at this border crossing. At this point, you will be at the border taxi stand, a few kilometers outside of the city of Zakho, and may need to hire another taxi to get to Zakho's city center (5,000-10,000 Dinars). For the taxi ride from the Turkish city where you changed cars to Zakho, it's about $40 US dollars. This is a safe place to meet your friends or to charter a taxi to another part of the country. Enjoy some tea while waiting. From Jordan[edit]For land crossings from Jordan, be prepared for a long ride. The trip through the eastern Jordanian desert is much like a moonscape. The journey from Amman to Baghdad can take anywhere from 10-15 hours. You will depart Amman between 5AM and 10AM, and arrive at the border crossing about four hours later. The border crossing can take anywhere from an hour and a half (on a very good day) to more than five or six hours. Entering Iraq usually takes about half as much time as leaving Iraq. The Jordanian immigration and customs officers are very finicky about whom they will let in. From Kuwait[edit]Traveling from the Kuwaiti border is just as difficult as crossing from Jordan. The Kuwaiti crossing is complicated even more by the fact that Kuwaiti immigration and customs officers are even more strict than the Jordanians and anything at all can cause them to arbitrarily block your entry or exit. Sneaking into a military convoy is not advised as your vehicle might be mistaken for a suicide attacker by the turret gunners in the convoy. Reliable but inconspicuous transportation is a must in Iraq. It is probably best to buy a vehicle that blends in with the other cars on the road. Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia, along with less familiar Eastern European and Asian brands are common. BMWs and Mercedes are also seen in Iraq but are less common, especially nice ones, which usually have the steering wheel on the right side. By bus[edit]It is possible to enter Iraq from Jordan by taking a bus from Amman. Other countries may have bus services to Iraq. Third-party nationals can also gain entry into Iraq for work purposes; these buses usually depart from Kuwait. From Turkey, long-distance buses go to Dohuk and Arbil from Istanbul (80 US$ in 2016) stopping in Malatya, Batman, Diyarbakir and other towns on the way From Iran, regular buses leave for Suleymaniyeh from Tehran. There is also a once-weekly bus from Kermanshah. Otherwise a shared taxi hop from Kermanshah changing vehicles in Sanandaj, Marivan, the Iran-Iraq border (you can expect a friendly but extensive questioning up to several hours here), and the first village after the border. With an early start from Kermanshah, you can arrive in Suleymaniyeh by early afternoon. Get around[edit]
By car[edit]Driving at night may be a safer alternative to daytime driving, but a few rules to follow:
Talk[edit]Arabic is the official language of Iraq. However, the majority of Iraqi Arabs speak one of the two national varieties of Iraqi Arabic(Northern and Southern). The Northern variety known as Qeltu Iraqi is spoken in areas such as Mosul, Dohuk, and Kirkuk while the Southern variety known as Gilit Iraqi is spoken in Baghdad, Karbala, and Amarah. The varieties are named after the term "I said" in each respective dialect ("Qeltu" in Northern Mesopotamian and "Gilit" in Southern Mesopotamian). The Muslim Baghdadi dialect, however, is the most prestigious Arabic dialect in the country. The Mesopotamian varieties form a periphery with the Levantine group in the far northwest, the Gulf group in the far southeast, and Khuzestani on the Iraqi-Iranian border. English is not commonly spoken and most travelers will not able to get by in the various shops, markets, and cafes. The further downside is that speaking English will immediately identify you as an outsider. This is dangerous because of the strong underground network of Iraqis who inform attackers of possible target opportunities. Kurdish is spoken in the Kurdistan region, in one of two varieties: Kurmanji and Sorani. Kurmanji is spoken in and around Dohuk while Sorani is spoken in and around Arbil (Hewlar) and Sulaymaniyah. These two varieties are mutually unintelligible. However, Maslawi Arabic is also widely spoken, and the number of speakers of English is on the rise. See[edit]The past 40 years of disastrous government and devastating wars have taken their toll on Iraq's travel industry. After the fall of the Saddam Hussein government, which was virulently hostile to the Shia religion, religious pilgrims, mostly from the Middle East, Iran, and Central Asia, have returned in large numbers to the holy sites of southern Iraq, especially to the spiritual home of Shia Islam in Karbala. Religious pilgrimage remains quite unsafe, but there is a greater degree of safety in numbers, and in being familiar with the Arab region. And of course, pilgrimage is a more urgent reason for travel than sightseeing! One can only hope that this great and ancient region soon sees increased security and stability, for it makes a fascinating travel destination for anyone interested in history, be it in ancient history 4,000 years old, medieval Islamic and later Ottoman history, or modern history of the early 21st century. The aforementioned conflicts and misgovernment have not been kind to Iraq's ruins, especially in terms of the massive rebuilding done on ancient Babylon by the Hussein government and later negligence by the foreign military presence. But the pull of such ancient cities as the Babylonian capital Babylon; the ancient city of Ur, of mankind's first great civilizations, Sumeria; major Parthian cities at magnificent Hatra and the capital Ctesiphon; and the Assyrian capital of Ashur, remains great enough to overlook the damage done. The holiest sites of Shia Islam outside of Saudi Arabia are in Iraq's fertile heartland of Lower Mesopotamia. The Shia-Sunni split in Islam occurred over a dispute in the mid-seventh century C.E. as to the true successor of the Prophet Muhammad, with the Shiites supporting Ali ibn Abi Talib, who would become the first Imam, whose Caliphate capital was located in the medieval city of Kufa. Ali's tomb is found in present-day Najaf at the Imam Ali Mosque, one of Shia Islam's most holy sites. The third Imam, the grandson of the Prophet, Husayn ibn Ali, is widely revered as one of Shia Islam's greatest martyrs, and the two grand mosques of Karbala, Al-Abbas Mosque and Imam Husayn Shrine (which stands on his grave) are the sites of the Shiites' most important pilgrimage, to observe the Ashura, the day of mourning for Imam Husayn. Samarra is home to another one of the most important Shia mosques, Al-Askari Mosque, which serves as the tomb of Imams 'Ali al-Hadi and Hassan al-'Askari. Tragically, this mosque is badly damaged, suffering explosions in sectarian violence in 2006, destroying the dome, minarets, and clock tower. Lastly, Al-Kadhimiya Mosque in Kadhimiya is revered, as it is the burial place of the seventh and ninth Imams, Musa al-Kadhim and Muhammad at-Taqi. Also buried within this mosque are the famous historical scholars, Shaykh Mufid and Shaykh Nasir ad-Din Tusi. Iraq is also home to significant holy sites of Sunni Islam, especially Baghdad's Abu Hanifa Mosque, built around the tomb of Abu Hanifah an-Nu'man, the founder of the Ḥanafī school of Islamic religious jurisprudence. In terms of modern attractions, most are the big modernist sculptures and palaces of the Saddam Hussein government, located primarily in Baghdad (or on top of some of the world's most important heritage sites.). Given the warfare, external and internal, and government atrocities committed against its own people over the past 40 years, one can only expect that the future will see widespread construction of memorials for those who suffered. But such developments may have to wait until the nation's turbulent present settles down. In the meantime, it is possible (albeit often dangerous) to visit the cities and sites of battles that have become household names throughout the world in the most recent conflict. Do[edit]Buy[edit]The Iraqi dinar is the official currency, however, you will also be able to spend Euros € and US Dollars $ almost everywhere. Be aware that most people do not like to make changes to large bills. Also note that any defects in the bills (creases, ink stamps from banks, tears, etc.) will raise suspicion that you are a counterfeiter. Don't bring old bills with you, either. Carry mostly small bills in the form of Iraqi dinars for daily spending cash. Since the introduction of the new Iraqi dinar, its widespread acceptance and confidence have reduced the prominence of the USD, and many shopkeepers are now refusing to accept them. However, most people will still pay large hotel bills or rent payments using USD or EUR due to the sheer volume of notes required to pay with dinars. The conversion rate fluctuates from day to day and from town to town but is around 1175 dinar to US$1. Inflation used to be relatively high (65% a year since 2003) but in recent years it is much lower than before (11% in 2008), which makes the Iraqi dinar becomes an attractive target for investors, unlike the Vietnamese dong. Learn the security features of the new dinar and dollar notes; the former Iraqi government was known to be making passable $20, $10, and $5 U.S. notes, and these counterfeiters are apparently still in business. Eat[edit]
Drink[edit]The legal drinking/purchasing age of alcoholic beverages is 18. Alcohol is widely available and street vendors can usually get alcohol if you really need it, but again this is just asking to be identified as an outsider. Furthermore, while alcohol is legal many insurgent groups in Iraq have targeted alcohol vendors and drinkers. Sleep[edit]Sleep in the hot summer months can be difficult. Sleeping outside and near flowing water is the most comfortable setting one can find outside of air conditioning. In Iraqi Kurdistan, there are plenty of hotels and although they are hard to find in any travel guide, anyone on the street will direct you to a nearby place. There's no shortage in Zakho, Dohuk or Arbil. Rates run about 15 USD to 25 USD per night for a single room with bathroom. Work[edit]Work in Iraq pays very well. Typical foreign contractors can make up to $100k per year for security and administrative work. Stay safe[edit]Iraq is beset with numerous problems that make traveling risky and difficult. The security situation is perilous in just about any area of the country and continues to deteriorate under continuing terrorist attacks. Resistance to continuing military occupation, U.S. and UK forces, and Iraqi military, police or anyone associated with the Iraqi government, as well as increasing factional and sectarian conflict make street warfare, bombings, and other acts of armed violence daily occurrences. The central third of the country is the most volatile; the southern ports are less dangerous, but only relatively so. However, northern Iraq, or Kurdistan is safe and has suffered from very little violence since 2003. Major cities, including Baghdad, are fertile grounds for political upheavals, kidnappings, and other underground activity, so tread lightly. The Kurdish peshmerga (military) is over 100,000 strong and every road, town, city and even village has checkpoints going in and out. All non-Kurds are searched thoroughly and occasionally followed by the internal secret police. However fear not, this is why there is almost no chance of terrorism in the North. The police are friendly and everyone is happy to meet foreigners, especially Americans. Traveling alone makes you an easy kidnapping target, and is best avoided – if possible travel with a translator/guard. There are comprehensive private and state security services available for your personal protection - you are strongly advised to use the available options for your own safety. If employed in Iraq, consult your employer on how to handle your personal safety. Independent contractors will usually have security provided by their clients, if no security is provided you should seriously consider not traveling to Iraq, if you must go you should hire armed security and get proper training in appropriate protective gear, survival, and weapons. Be aware that Iraq, like the recently ended former war zone, has minefields everywhere, especially in the desert, do not walk into fields, especially unmarked ones unless you're absolutely sure that it's safe. LGBT visitors[edit]
Stay healthy[edit]It is best to always drink bottled water. It will usually be sold at vendors and large stores and will be easy to find. Most Iraqi water companies pump their water directly from the Tigris or Euphrates rivers, treat it with ozone, and then filter it into bottles. The taste is often not very good, and those with sensitive systems should not drink it. Many street vendors will offer drinks such as water with a lemon twist, which should be presumed unsafe for foreign visitors. Those with experience in Iraq should use their discretion and past experience when purchasing drinks. Drinking the local tea (chai) can be safe for some people since it is brought to a boil before serving, but when in doubt, insist that bottled water be used. Many kinds of water-borne diseases, pollution, and infectious agents are not affected by boiling water and are still present in the water after boiling. As a walk past an Iraqi butcher shop will demonstrate, food preparation standards are not the same as in Western countries, and consumption of local food can make a visitor ill. Try to bring your own. As tap water is generally not potable, you should especially avoid uncooked foods. Should you find your body in the uncomfortable position of rejecting food and water due to something you shouldn't have drunk, immediately find someone who speaks Arabic and send them to a local pharmacist and request a product known locally as "InterStop" (similar to co-phenotrope/Lomotil). This works better than any well-known western brand. Respect[edit]Never show the soles of your feet to others. This may be considered very disrespectful by most Iraqis unless you are in the company of friends. When in the company of friends, it's still best to excuse yourself before putting your feet up in the air with the soles of your feet in the direction of any person. Don't spit in public or in the direction of others, even when obviously done without malice. In most major cities, avoid addressing or glorifying the Saddam Hussein regime. Contact[edit]
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