Iraq

It is good to realize that you have roughly two travel areas in Iraq. In the Northeast you have Kurdistan. This autonomous region has its own visa (upon arrival at the airport) and also has its own border posts within which you must stay. The area feels very Turkish / Iranian and very safe. Most trips start in Erbil, the largest city in the region. From there you travel to, for example, Lalesh, the sacred place for the Yazedis, the mountainous region of Rawandas, where you can ski in winter, or Sulaymaniyah, the second city of the region, which includes the infamous Amna Suraka museum .

Iraq is full of ancient (UNESCO) monuments, buildings and ruins that tell more about the rich history of the country. Some of the places are for example the Minaret of Samarra, the Ctestiphone, the Ziggurat of Ur, the Ziggurat of Dur-Kurigalzu and of course, the mythical place Babylon. All these places are definitely still worth a visit and it is absurd to realize that you have most places only for yourself.

Iraq has two very holy cities for Shia Muslims. The cities of Karbala and Najaf receive millions of pilgrims every year, for whom these cities are very special. The most important spots are in Najaf the Imam Ali Shrine and in Karbala the Imam Hussein Shrine. These places are among the most holy places for Shia Muslims. As a non-Muslim you can visit both cities and you will soon be impressed by the intensity of both cities.

Few cities in the world have such an exotic name as Baghdad. However, those who travel to Baghdad today see little of the rich history. Located on the Tigris River, Baghdad is a giant in the Iraqi desert. Baghdad is not only a city for tourist attractions (such as the National Museum), but also a place to get to know the Iraqis and their culture: old tea houses, delicious falafel and monuments reminiscent of Alibaba and the 40 Thieves, the Flying Carpet and the Magic Lamp.