IRAQ HOLIDAYS   >   MIDDLE EAST


Travel information Iraq.

Cities in Iraq : Nineveh, Basrah, Al Tamam, Wast, Maysian, Najaf, Kerbala, Al-Anbar, De Kair, Al Cadesia, Babylon.

Republic of Iraq [ Al-Jumhuriyah Al-Iraqiyah ] in southwestern Asia encompassing the ancient region of Mesopotamia at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, it also includes southern Kurdistan.

It was in Iraq where the world's first civilization arose 5000 years ago. Here the first cities were founded,  the first words written,  the first laws made,  the first scientists tried to understand ....,  the first great literature opened people's minds.

Iraq shares borders with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the west, Syria to the north-west, Turkey to the north, and Iran to the east.

Capital City of Iraq : Baghdad


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Hotels in Iraq

  Hotels in Iraq

  Al Rashid Hotel,  Baghdad
Hotel Al-Rasheed is an 18-story hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, favored by journalists and media personnel. It is named for Harun Al-Rashid. See Wikipedia.

Travel Agents / Tour Operator

  Bestway Tours & Safaris [ Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada ]

  
Create your trip to Iraq   -   Flight, Hotel and Car

Thomas Cook



  Atlas Tours [ located in Amman ]
  Babel Tours [ located in Baghdad, Ankawa and Nasiriya ]
Babel Tours offers high-quality services to all those who wish to come from around the world and discover the cultural and natural riches of Iraq : Babylon, Mesopotamia, Najaf & Karbala, Kurdistan...
  Bedu Expeditionen   -   Trip is not always certain!

Travel Guides Iraq / Related books

Iraq: Then & Now (Bradt Travel Guide)
A Guide to the Country and Its People.
Geoff Hann (Author), Karen Dabrowska (Author)
Unlike other publications since the downfall of Saddam's regime, Iraq: Then & Now traces the history of the country from ancient times until the present. Supplementary boxes, many written by Iraqis themselves, reflect on life today as compared with life in Saddam's Iraq and even earlier, describing their experiences, hopes, fears, ambitions and visions for the future. The book self -consciously avoids making any judgement on the political debate surrounding the 2003 war and subsequent occupation; instead it presents the varying views, and offers a rounded, balanced picture. Published to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the change, this guide to the country and its people, provides information on Iraq's culture and archaeology, the south, Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle. The northern region of Iraqi Kurdistan stands apart as a success story and the travel appendix provides essential information for the increasing numbers of visitors to this region.
Paperback: 384 pages; Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides; 1 edition (15 April 2008); ISBN-10: 1841622435; ISBN-13: 978-1841622439.

Transportation / How to travel to Iraq

  Baghdad International Airport [ BIAP ]   -   former Saddam Airport
Located approximately 16 kilometers West of Baghdad. The airfield is a joint civil-military airport, with a civil international terminal on one side and a smaller military ramp on the other.
  Basrah International Airport

Major air bases are located at Al Sahra, Al Taqaddum, Amara New, Baghdad/Muthenna, Balad Southeast, Irbil, Injanah, Jalibah, Karbale Northeast, Kirkuk, Mosul, Najaf, Qayyarah, Rasheed, Safwan, Salman Pak, Salum, Samarra East, Shaibah, Shayka Mazhar, Sabakhu, Tallil, and Ubaydah Bin al Jarrah.  In addition, there are 73 other airports of varying sizes scattered around the country.

  

  Train line between Baghdad, Mosul and Basra.

  Orange and cream taxis are in service on routes between towns and cities. Taxis can be shared or hired individually.


Links 

  Iraq Tourism Board   -   official site
Transportation,  religious tourism,  historical tourism,  accommodation, etc.

  Iraqi Interim Government
Here you will be able to see information about the activities of the Iraqi Government.
The site is divided into sections about the President, Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers' Secretariat and links to Ministries.

  Baghdad   -   Capital City of Iraq   -   Mayoralty of Baghdad

  Zone Central South
With the cities Al-Kut, Diwaniya, Hillah, Hindiya, Kerbala, Najaf,
  Zone North-Central 
With the cities Arbil, Bagdad, Bashur, Dohuk, Kifri, Kirkuk, Mosul en Tikrit
  Zone Southeast 
With the cities As Samawah, Basra, Khidr, Nassiriya, Rumaytha, Shaibah, Talli, Umm Qasrl

  Basra   -   Iraq's second largest city and main seaport
Originally intended as a military base, the city was founded in AD637 by Caliph Omar. During the 16th century it became an important departure point for Arab trading ships sailing to the Far East.
Because of its location, it was the site of many battles between the Turks -- as it was at this time part of the Ottoman Empire -- and invading Persians or Marsh Arabs.
  Mosul   -   Iraq's third largest city - situated 396 km north of Baghdad
The city was an important trade centre in the Abbasid era, because of its strategic position on the caravan route between India, Persia and the Mediterranean.
Mosul has the highest proportion of Christians of all the Iraqi cities, and contains several interesting old churches, including the Clock and Latin Church, which contains some fine marble and stained glass. The Chaldean Catholic Church of Al-Tahira was built as a monastery in AD300 and became a church in 1600, when various additions were built.

  Nineveh   -   just outside Mosul on the east bank of the River Tigris
It was the third capital of Assyria dating from the reign of Sennacherib [ 704-681 BC ] and was one of the most powerful cities of the Middle East, the hub of the civilized ancient world. Its downfall came in 612BC, when it was sacked by the Medes of Northern Persia.
  Nimrud   -   about 37 km southeast of Mosul, on the eastern bank of the River Tigris
It was first designated as the Assyrian capital by Ashurnasirpal II in 879 BC and was known as Kalhu (mentioned in Genesis as Calah). Later, with the accession of King Sargon II, it was replaced by Khorsabad as the new capital in about 720 BC. In 612 BC, it was destroyed by the Medes of Northern Persia, at the same time as the fall of Nineveh.
  Babylon   -  90 km south of Baghdad
It is perhaps the most famous of all the ancient sites in Iraq. First reaching prominence under King Hammurabi, and achieving its zenith during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II (605-56BC), Babylon was renowned for its high, well-fortified walls and for the magnificence of its temples and palaces.
Its famous Hanging Gardens, built by Nebuchadnezzar for his wife Amytas, were one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Amytas was a Mede and her home was in mountainous country, so the King reputedly had the Hanging Gardens built to allay her homesickness
  Kerbala   -   of great religious significance to Muslims
108 km southwest of Baghdad, is the site of the battle of Kerbala, which was fought in AD680 between the two main Islamic sects - Sunni and Shiite. The leader of the Shiite sect and his brother were both killed in the battle. As they were grandsons of the Prophet Mohammed, shrines were built to commemorate them in two mosques in Kerbala. Visiting these shrines is a significant goal for Islamic pilgrims.
  Najaf   -   of great religious significance to Muslims
Najaf contains the tomb of Ali ibn Abi Talib in a mosque in the city centre. The sacred shrine commemorates a cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed, who founded the Shiite sect.

  Arch of Ctesiphon   -   ruined city of Ctesiphon
The city was first built in the second century BC by the Parthian Persians. Today there is very little left of its former glories, except a colossal arch which is thought to have once formed part of a great banqueting hall.
  Samarra Spiral Minaret   -   124 km, north of Baghdad
Its major spot is its 52 meters high minaret.
  Mosque of Nebi Yunus   -   Basra
Said to be the burial place of the Biblical Jonah. It is built on a mound beneath which are thought to be part of the ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh. Any attempt to verify this is impossible, however, as the site is sacred and cannot be disturbed.
  Nuriddine Mosque, Basra -
Built in 1172, has a famously crooked minaret standing 52 metres high. It is built of very elaborate brickwork and is named after its builder, Nuriddin Zanqi.
  The Euphrates & The Tigris
The rivers were known, through the historical ages, as most important rivers in the world, for the Valley of the Euphrates and the Tigris represents the birthplace of many ancient civilization like the Assyrian, Babylonian and Sumerrous. The cities of Babylon and Akad were built near the rivers. During the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire many villages, arts and literature centers flourished along the river bank. The archaeological excavations on the banks of the Tigris and the Euphrates presented a lot of important historical information.
  Ur of the Chaldees - Near the town of Nasiriya - one of Iraq's most imposing ancient sites.
In former days it stood on the banks of the Euphrates, until the river changed its course. The earliest buildings date from 4000BC, and there is an impressive ziggurat (pyramid-shaped tower), as well as some royal tombs in a good state of preservation. These tombs are thought to date from about 2600-2000BC.
Ur of the Chaldees is mentioned in the Bible as the birthplace of Abraham, although there is no real evidence to support this statement. On a surer footing, it was the capital of the ancient civilization of Sumeria, and was first excavated in 1922-34 by Sir Leonard Woolley.

Culinair   -   Iraqi Foods / recipes

  Iraqi cuisine
Iraqi cuisine or Mesopotamian cuisine has a long history going back some 10,000 years - to the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians.

Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine  -  Nawal Nasrallah
This new Iraqi cookbook contains more than four hundred recipes covering all food categories. There is ample choice for both vegetarian and meat lovers, and many that will satisfy a sweet tooth. All recipes have been tested and are easy to follow
Paperback 664 pages (February 21, 2003);  Publisher: AuthorHouse;  Language: English;  ISBN: 140334793X

History of Iraq

Independent on Ocktober 3, 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

  Iraq's History   -   Wikipedia
Prehistory Iraq  [ Ancient Times and Mesopotamia ], Post-Sumerian civilizations [ Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon ], The Muslim Conquest, Modern Times [ The British Mandate Period, The Iraqi Monarchy and The End of the Monarchy ], Rule Under Saddam [ Invasion of Kuwait and the Persian Gulf War, Iraq under UN Sanction and the 2003 invasion of Iraq ], Coalition occupation of Iraq [ Coalition withdrawal ]...

Music, Art & Culture, Events

  Music of Iraq
Iraq is known primarily for an instrument called the oud (similar to a lute) and a rebab [ similar to a fiddle ]...

  Culture of Iraq

  Iraqi cultural heritage sites  -  see The Guardian
Iraq is one huge world heritage site, a unique storehouse of art and archaeology, a.o. The Parthian desert city of Hatra, The restored temple of Nabu sha hare at Babylon, Minaret at Mosul, Main gate at Nineveh, Minaret at Anah, Ziggurat at Ashur, The fourth-century arch at Ctesiphon and Ukhaidir.
  New Advent   -   Babylonia


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