Iraq - Cheap flights to Iraq

Baghdad is the capital city of Iraq, and with more than seven million inhabitants is one of the biggest and most populous cities in the entire Middle East. It still does not attract many tourists, although it has plenty to offer. So what is worth doing and seeing in the city built in a place where Mesopotamia, the cradle of our civilization, was created thousands of years ago?

As mentioned before, this region has a very rich tradition. When being in such a place, it is worth going to the museum, to get to know its history better. We strongly recommend the National Museum In Baghdad, also known as the Archaeological Museum. You will find there exhibits from the Mesopotamian period, as well as numerous collections from the Sumerian or Assyrian culture. The building itself is breath-taking and you will find it on Nasir Street.

One of the prettiest buildings here is the Al Fidos Mosque, with a blue façade. Its roof, or dome, covered entirely with beautiful paintings looks magical. You will find it on Al-A’amiriya. Another worth-seeing temple is the one named after Imam Musa al-Kazim, located in the Kadhikiya district, near the city park of Abdali.

You may like Baghdad or not, but there is one sure thing – you cannot ignore or forget the local cuisine. Strolling through the street, the wonderful scents coming from almost every street corner will tempt you and make you feel hungry. Iraqis love aromatic spices, and the mix they use most often is called baharat. Its ingredients include pepper, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and cloves. Meat species include mutton, poultry, and beef being accompanied by bulgur and rice.

And where should you get to eat something? You can surely expect delicious food at Saj Alreef Baghdad on the sixty-two street, at Samad Restaurant on Rawad Street, at the Aroma restaurant near Babylon Hotel and at Beston at Rammadan 14. 

Basra is a port city in the southern part of Iraq and at the same time the capital of the Basra region, which is one of the fastest growing tourist and business centers of the country. The Shatt Al-Aarab River flows through the town. Strolling along its shore you can watch the bustling marinas.

In the central part of the city there is the island of Sinbad. According to literature, in Basra, Sindbad the Sailor began his adventure – one of the heroes of "The Book of Thousand and One Nights". An important landmark of the village is the Maqam mosque, which is about 300 years old. There are also several historic Christian churches, a monument to the poet Badr Shakir Syaba, the Basrah Museum and also the Animals Shatt al-Arab Garden, located right next to the river. In addition, there are several modern shopping centres in the city, including the most popular – Basra Times Square. Also those who love to spend time on traditional Arab bazaars will not be disappointed. Particularly noteworthy are the Indian Market (Amogaiz) and Hanna-Sheikh Bazaar.

What's more, in Basra you will find several city parks and playgrounds, such as Al-Khorah Park or Al-Andalus Park Family, where you can relax in the open air. The palm trees growing here and there will shield us from the heat pouring out of the sky. An interesting idea for a family afternoon is a visit to the Coast City Games theme park, located just above the river. In the evening, take a stroll down the Corniche al-Basra street or relax on the beach at the Hassan River Coast.

The cuisine of the Basra region is primarily traditional Arabic dishes, characteristic of the countries of the Persian Gulf. We find there dishes prepared from mutton, fish, and seafood. A popular ingredient of many local delicacies are aubergines and dactyls. The spices are mint, garlic, saffron, and thyme. Delicious specialties of the local cuisine are served, among others, in restaurants Palace Nobles and Hamdan. For a family dinner, we can go to the cozy Al Azaim restaurant. For coffee, it is worth going to Coffe Shop Tsar, and aromatic dishes with fresh seafood we will get, among others, at Garden City Restaurant.

At the end of the 18th century, an overpopulated capital of the principality of Baban was moved to the small village. All of the most important national offices had had its headquarters here for almost another century – until the principality was conquered again and incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. For a brief moment in the 1920’s the city was raised to the rank of the capital of Kurdistan Kingdom. Today, it is one of the Iraqi cities in the autonomous Kurdistan Region.

For several years the Iraqi government had been trying to diminish the city’s importance. The name of “Sulaymaniyah” had been changed and the university moved to Erbil (it was regained 11 years later). Also, the Kurdish language managed to last the time of trial and today – along with Arabic – it is an official language of the administrative area.

To get a closer look at the complicated history of this region, step into the Amna Suraka Museum. Founded in 2000, located in buildings that were previously used as a prison by Saddam Husain regime's intelligence service, the museum holds evidence of the atrocities committed against the Kurdish people, the cells and interrogation rooms. If you are a fan of more ancient history, be sure to visit the Sulaymaniyah Museum – the second biggest museum in Iraq, where you can see artifacts of Persian and Kurdish culture that date back to the 18th century B.C.

The place in Sulaymaniyah where all the locals do their shopping is the Great Bazaar on Mawlawi St. The name is not ambiguous – the market is enormous and, as usual in Iraqi markets, you can really buy everything here; fruit and vegetable, animal heads, clothes, jewelry, books, home appliances… If you get hungry, follow your nose to the food stands serving baked snacks.

200 meters north of the bazaar you will find the main point in the city – The Great Mosque whose characteristic turquoise domes are visible from far away. It’s open to the public and differs slightly from the well-known mosques – it has a simpler, modern shape and only richly decorated domes remind us that it is a temple.