Travel & Culture
“History buffs will appreciate a landscape roughly the size of Maryland, dotted with the ruins of Christian monasteries and Ottoman mosques. In the center of Erbil, the bustling capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, are the mud-caked walls of a citadel thought to be 6,000 years old and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Adventure seekers will also find plenty to do: The roaring waterfall at Gali Ali Bag, immortalized on the 5,000 dinar note, is a sight to behold. Amadiya, an ancient hilltop fortress, offers glimpses of a millenniums-old Christian and Jewish settlement. And the snowcapped peaks of the majestic Zagros Mountains offer hikers amazing views of Turkey, Iran and Iraq.
Not without reason do guidebooks charitably call Iraqi Kurdistan the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East.’”
Lionel Beehner, New York Times, October 26, 2008
Kurdistan is an emerging tourist and business destination in the Middle East. Adventure and nature travelers can explore unspoiled mountain ranges, while tourists can visit historical sites, museums and enjoy magnificent landscapes and resorts. The warmth of the Kurdish people makes Kurdistan a welcoming, safe and relaxing environment to spend your next vacation.
Kurdistan is known as the cradle of civilization, where each civilization has left its touch on the region. Modern Iraq was ancient Mesopotamia, and it was here that humans first began to write and cultivate land. This ancient history is best reflected in the Citadel of Erbil, which towers over Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan. It is one of the longest inhabited urban areas in the world and was home to many civilizations including the Babylonians, Greeks, Persian Sassanids and Muslims.
Another example is the Shanidar cave site, an important archeological site located in the Zagros Mountains. The cave was excavated in 1957-1961 by a team from Columbia University which found the first Neanderthal skeleton in Iraq.
Kurdistan’s landscape is beautiful and untouched. Visitors can explore the rolling hills, deep valleys and wilderness. Skiers can ski on spectacular mountain ranges. Tourists can escape to any of the resorts situated in magnificent landscapes just outside of Erbil.
