Iraq is not a place to go on a holiday right now. After being engulfed in warfare and violent crime for years, Iraq is still not a safe destination. Although the Kurdish areas in the north of Iraq are somewhat safer and first guided tours to Iraq are already starting to appear, all except essential travel to Iraq is yet best avoided as foreigners are still in danger of getting kidnapped or killed. Hopefully in the future the numerous historic and archaeological attractions in Iraq will be safer to visit once again.
Ancient World Heritage. The most famous of the numerous archaeological sites in Iraq is the ancient walled city of Babylon that was once regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities. Now there is not much left from the city except an eroded statue of lion. The ancient Islamic city of Samarra, located some 130 kilometers north from Baghdad is home to many preserved architectural monuments and is one of the World Heritage Sites in Iraq. The ancient Sumerian city of Ur includes buildings made in 4000 BC and still has some well-preserved tombs, and the fortified city of Hatra offers temples with Hellenistic and Roman architecture.
Hard to get to. All visitors except the citizens of Arab League countries and the US military personnel need visas for entering Iraq. Currently, visas are issued mainly for journalists, businessmen and aid workers. Visas can be purchased from embassies of Iraq or at border crossings. While the Kurdish region in Northern Iraq offers some tourism facilities and infrastructure, and first tour groups have visited also other parts of Iraq, most of the country is still out of limits for all but essential work travel.
Travel connections. Only a few commercial airlines currently fly to Iraq. While Baghdad receives some flights from Amman, Jordan, most international passenger flights to Iraq head to Erbil in Northern Iraq’s Kurdish Territory. It receives regular flights from a few Middle Eastern and European cities such as Amman, Athens, Istanbul, Beirut, Dubai, Frankfurt, and Vienna. You can enter Northern Iraq by road from Turkey. There is also a bus connection to Iraq from Jordan, and buses for foreign workers to Iraq depart from Kuwait. No train or passenger ship connection to Iraq exists at the moment. Iraq has a good road network with bus traffic and a domestic rail line, and shared taxis are available for traveling in Northern Iraq.
Traveling in Iraq is currently dangerous and difficult, so you might want to consider again if your trip there is absolutely necessary.
Sights and activities in Iraq: museums, mosques and archaeological sites
Although they are currently mostly out of reach for tourism, Iraq is home to many glorious archaeological sites. The capital city of Baghdad hosts many interesting historic sights and monuments but the alarming security situation prevents all but essential travel there. The mountainous Iraqi Kurdistan region in the north of Iraq is a bit safer, offering some possibilities for adventurous trekking, but it is still considered dangerous for leisure travel.Ancient World Heritage. The most famous of the numerous archaeological sites in Iraq is the ancient walled city of Babylon that was once regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities. Now there is not much left from the city except an eroded statue of lion. The ancient Islamic city of Samarra, located some 130 kilometers north from Baghdad is home to many preserved architectural monuments and is one of the World Heritage Sites in Iraq. The ancient Sumerian city of Ur includes buildings made in 4000 BC and still has some well-preserved tombs, and the fortified city of Hatra offers temples with Hellenistic and Roman architecture.
Iraq travel information and practical tips
Located in the Middle East between Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and Kuwait, Iraq has a very dry climate with extremely hot summers and mild winters with some rain. The summer months from May to September are especially hot and dry. Weather in the mountain areas of Northern Iraq is cooler and there is even snow cover during the winter.Hard to get to. All visitors except the citizens of Arab League countries and the US military personnel need visas for entering Iraq. Currently, visas are issued mainly for journalists, businessmen and aid workers. Visas can be purchased from embassies of Iraq or at border crossings. While the Kurdish region in Northern Iraq offers some tourism facilities and infrastructure, and first tour groups have visited also other parts of Iraq, most of the country is still out of limits for all but essential work travel.
Travel connections. Only a few commercial airlines currently fly to Iraq. While Baghdad receives some flights from Amman, Jordan, most international passenger flights to Iraq head to Erbil in Northern Iraq’s Kurdish Territory. It receives regular flights from a few Middle Eastern and European cities such as Amman, Athens, Istanbul, Beirut, Dubai, Frankfurt, and Vienna. You can enter Northern Iraq by road from Turkey. There is also a bus connection to Iraq from Jordan, and buses for foreign workers to Iraq depart from Kuwait. No train or passenger ship connection to Iraq exists at the moment. Iraq has a good road network with bus traffic and a domestic rail line, and shared taxis are available for traveling in Northern Iraq.
Traveling in Iraq is currently dangerous and difficult, so you might want to consider again if your trip there is absolutely necessary.
Photo: James Gordon, used under Creative Commons License (By 2.0)
The security situation in Iraq is still poor in most parts of the country, although Northern Iraq's Kurdistan has areas that are a bit safer to travel to. Terrorist attacks, kidnappings, roadside bombs, minefields and political violence are still reality in Iraq. If you have to go to Iraq, make sure you travel with a local translator and guard. There are private and state security services available for protecting business visitors and using their services is strongly recommended. If you are traveling to Iraq for work, ask the embassy and your employer for advice on your personal safety. English is spoken by many educated Iraqis.
Short history of Iraq
Iraq is called the cradle of civilization. The region of Euphrates and Tigris Rivers that is present-day Iraq was once known as Mesopotamia. It is home to several successive civilizations such as the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians. It is also thought to be the home of such skills as farming, writing, religion and art. Ruled by the Persian and Seleucid dynasties after the decline of the local civilizations, Iraq became an important area for Islamic civilization from the 600s to 1200s AC. Iraq was incorporated into the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1534 and later became a colony of Great Britain for a short time after the First World War.Troubled recent past. Iraq became an independent monarchy in 1932. The monarchy was overthrown in 1958 and Iraq became a republic. Saddam Hussein became president in 1979 and soon started a war against Iran that lasted for eight years. In August 1990, Iraq invaded its small neighbor Kuwait, which was followed a trade embargo and the US-led liberation of Kuwait by force known as the Gulf War. After this, Iraq suffered under UN trade sanctions until the US-led war on terror reached Iraq in the form of the search for weapons of mass destruction. This time with strong international condemnation, the US-led coalition invaded Iraq on March 2003, ousting Saddam Hussein. Iraq turned into chaotic state, and even though new Iraqi government took charge in 2004, political violence has continued in Iraq with frequent terrorist attacks, kidnappings and car bombs.
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