I'm going to Kurdistan because it exists. “Iraqi Kurdistan is a fortress”: a lot of oil, a large army and campsites Where is Iraqi Kurdistan located

January 2011

Everyone knows three things about Iraq: there is a lot of oil there, the arrogant Yankees invaded there and killed Saddam Hussein. Some people still know that there are no nuclear weapons in Iraq, but there is chaos and injustice. There is quite a bit of other information about Iraq, so we began to investigate this issue. It was decided to go to this country for the New Year holidays. More precisely, in Iraqi Kurdistan, because the rest (Arab) part of Iraq is mentioned everywhere as an extremely dangerous place.

Four of us set off on the journey - two of each sex. This is cost effective for two reasons:
You can take a whole car and drive without waiting for fellow travelers;
Can be successfully dumped in hotels

The time for travel was chosen, in our opinion, ideal - New Year's holidays - in winter it is cool here, no more than 15 degrees Celsius. And in the summer the heat is 50 and above.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to take a normal camera due to its breakdown, so all photographs were taken using a good-quality point-and-shoot camera. There will also be a detailed video about the trip soon.

There are several useful reports on the Internet about the trip to Kurdistan, which we used to plan the route. First of all, this is a report, widely distributed on the Internet, secondly, a report by a bushy-haired photoblogger, thirdly, this opus of comrade Mykola with many photographs and, finally, a guide by LiveJournalist ivanivanych.

about country

Not many people know about Iraqi Kurdistan. Everyone knows about Iraq, and mostly they know about it from the news. Iraqi Kurdistan is an autonomy within Iraq and is largely an independent state. From Iraq he inherited a sad story, currency, borders and stamps in your passport.

Kurdistan is a country “at the beginning of its journey,” as the seller of the only wine and vodka store in Erbil aptly told us. After many years of oppression by Saddam Hussein and the genocide of the Kurdish population, this country is now actively developing and taking leaps and bounds towards a bright future.

Kurdistan has its own president, Masoud Barzani, who is very respected there. His portraits hang everywhere, and in many ways his policies ensured freedom and stability there relative to the rest of Iraq.

For some time, Kurdistan was under the protection of Iran and the United States, so there is no negative attitude towards foreigners there. On the contrary, the country has taken the path to attract foreign investment and develop tourism, and you will be greeted everywhere with a smile and open arms.

In general, in the Kurdish part of Iraq there are not many attractions and the nature is rather sparse (although, undoubtedly, for those who are actively exploring the world, all of the above will also be far from uninteresting), but this is not why it is worth going there.

It's worth going because of the people. It is enough to stay there for a few hours to understand that these people are not like us. The distinctive feature of any business in Kurdistan, be it a taxi, a hotel or a fruit stand, is that its goal is not to earn money, but to satisfy the client. We always felt, as it seemed to us, a special attitude towards ourselves.

Border crossing

Kurdistan and Iraq have different visa regimes. It is quite difficult to get to Baghdad, but to Kurdistan is easy, just come with your passport to the Silopi-Zakho border crossing. There are still options to fly from Turkey by plane to Erbil airport and cross the border from Iran. This method has not been tested due to its low reliability. There are no problems with the first one.

You can only cross the border by car. If you came on foot, of course they will put you in any available car, but since you still need to somehow get to the border guards, we are not considering this option. The border crossing point at Silopi is quite popular, so there are a huge number of taxi drivers on duty on both sides, ready to help you.

Entering Iraq from Turkey

To get to the border, you need to fly to the nearest Turkish city - this is either Diyarbakir or Mardin. From there you need to take a bus to the town of Cizre. There is absolutely no need to go to Silopi - a car to cross the border will cost the same both from Cizre and from Silopi - 20 Turkish lira per person (that’s about 15 dollars). For this amount, the driver will transport you abroad and take care of all the registration formalities - you will give your passports to him during the transition, this is normal.

At the border we felt Iraqi hospitality. We were taken into a beautiful room with leather sofas, treated to tea, given our passports and wished us a safe journey. At the same time, a small crowd of either Turks or Kurds was not allowed inside and they waited outside. Everything was done quickly, we didn’t even really talk to anyone.

Immediately after arriving in Iraq, you will be greeted by a cheerful fraternity of local taxi drivers who are ready to take you anywhere in Kurdistan. Do not put your passports away; you will need them more than once when passing through numerous checkpoints.

Traveling from Iraq to Turkey

Arriving at the same parking lot from which you started your trip to Iraq, you will see many taxi drivers ready to take you anywhere in Turkey. We liked a guy who agreed to take everyone to Diyarbakir at once for $150, which costs about the same as taking a bus, and it’s not a long trip there.

Coming back is a slightly more drawn out procedure, because on the border between Iraq and Turkey there are a couple of wonderful Duty Free stores (a liter of whiskey is $4!), which all the locals use to import cigarettes into Turkey, which are incredibly expensive there due to the struggle with smoking. Therefore, as it passes through the border, the car will be stuffed with cigarettes wherever possible, and they will also ask you to take a few blocks “for yourself” - don’t worry, this is normal.

On the way back, there are about the same number of formalities, but you will have to present your luggage for thorough inspection by the Turkish border guards, who will look for stashes of cigarettes there.

Movement

Getting around the country is in wheelbarrows. Cities have taxi stations from which intercity carriers depart. If you are alone, you will wait until the car is full. There were four of us, so we didn’t expect anything, and we didn’t need a taxi station; taxi drivers caught on the street would happily take us to another city. There are a lot of taxi drivers, so the first car almost always stopped.

An approximate cost map for a car for four passengers is shown below:

The prices for transportation can be said to be fixed, and no one will try to deceive you. But in any case, it’s better to find out the price in advance, anything can happen. Traveling as a group of four gives you a wonderful opportunity to stop along the way to take photos, go to the toilet or buy fruit.

Food

Food in Iraq is not as tasty as, for example, in Turkey. The main course is, of course, meat.

Street food.

The meat is mainly chicken or lamb - in pieces or in the form of minced meat. The name depends on how it is prepared:
Wrapped in pita bread - kebab or doner.
Placed in a bun - kofte.
Spread on a flatbread - this is Turkish pide or lahmacun. Added vegetables - pizza.
There is also some fish, also packaged in buns, some unknown crap in the form of chicken balls, some roasted chestnuts and other nonsense.

In short, eat meat, you will be healthier. We have not encountered a single instance of low-quality food being sold on the street.

Restaurants here are a completely separate issue. Iraq has a decent number of restaurants of different types and statuses, but the food seems to be the same in all of them.

There is no menu even in the most central restaurant in the city. Don’t be alarmed when, even before you place an order, they will serve you a clearing of soup, vegetables, pickles, sauces, flatbreads and water. This is how it is done here, it is included in the price and you don’t have to give it up. And they do this everywhere - both in restaurants and in cheap eateries. Along with your chosen dish, you will be given several plates of sauces to make the meat even tastier! And finally, of course, tea, in which there are two or three spoons of sugar at the bottom) Iraqis have a sweet tooth! For all this pleasure you pay a fixed price, regardless of whether you eat it all or not. Our most expensive bill was 50,000 dinars for 4 people.

Money and prices

Throughout Iraq there is one currency - the Iraqi dinar. The minimum banknote we came across was 250 dinars - about 25 cents. There are no iron small things at all. The exchange rate at the time of our stay was approximately 1150 dinars per dollar. In hotels you can pay in dollars or euros.

You can exchange money anywhere - in a hotel, in a store or at a “specialized” exchange point - on the street with a man who has a wad of money on his table. They change willingly and do not deceive. By the way, it was not possible to change money in banks.

Prices are mostly reasonable. Not cheaper and not more expensive than what we are used to.

Another pleasant fact is that no one tried to deceive us in Kurdistan. No one inflated the price, as they like to do in Turkey. You can take a city taxi without agreeing on the price in advance. There was even a taxi driver who didn't want to take any money from us at all.

Approximate prices in dinars (we discard three zeros - we get the price in dollars, very convenient!):
Kofte (sandwich with meat and vegetables) - 3000...5000
Lunch at an eatery - 5000...7000
Lunch at the restaurant - 7000-12000
Taxi in Erbil 3000...5000
Can of cola 500
Bottle of water 250.

All prices here are multiples of 250, and even for chewing gum you will have to pay a whole piece of paper, because there is simply nothing to give in change. Although, most likely, they will simply give you this chewing gum for free.

Kurdistan is far from being a poor country, as it might seem at first glance. Huge oil reserves and good relations with other countries allow the import of many goods at low prices. There are a lot of cars on the streets made in 2010-2011, including Hummers and other expensive cars. 50% of all cars are brand new Toyota Corollas; almost all taxis use them. Brand new Chryslers painted taxi yellow look especially strange.

They like to highlight the year of manufacture of a jalopy with stickers on the rear window.

Accommodation

There is no need to book anything in advance. There are a huge number of hotels in Kurdistan. Prices are about the same: 40-60 dollars for a good double room with breakfast. You can, of course, live in a rooming house for $20, but compared to other expenses, I don’t think it’s justified. You can and should bargain in hotels.

Almost everywhere there is air conditioning and a boiler. Everything else is standard. If you have any questions, please contact the reception - as a rule, they are always very responsive and ready to help in any situation, if they can understand you, of course. Their level of English is quite weak.

We stayed at the Rasan Hotel (center of Dohuk) and Pak Motel (center of Erbil) - everything was very good, of course there were little things (there weren’t enough pillows, there were traffic jams), but all this was solved through the reception and sign language. Well, in general, just walk around the center a little and choose the hotel you like. It’s better to ignore all sorts of recommendations from nerds from Lonely Planet, LiveJournalists and adherents of bedbugs in the pursuit of an extra two bucks.

Some hotels may try to separate couples into different rooms based on gender if you are not legally married, but you can ask not to do this. This was the case in Dohuk. We were asked to move into different rooms with our girls and under no circumstances drink beer. But our plans for that night were grandiose - to break all these regulations, which we did without hindrance! However, it is better to observe the rules of decency and not abuse Kurdish hospitality.

Breakfast at the hotel is the same as anywhere else in the world.

Safety

To be honest, at the time of entering the country there was some excitement - we passed through the slums of the border town of Zakho and thought that we were already being taken to a damp hole. But only one day passed to make sure that Iraqi Kurdistan is completely safe, in my opinion, even more a safer country than Russia. You can walk outside quite calmly in the evenings and at night. There are no special Muslim rules of behavior, as, for example, in Iran. Women do not have to wear a headscarf at all. Of course, if you dress up completely openly, you can catch dissatisfied glances, but nothing more. The residents of Kurdistan themselves are divided into those who are still faithful to traditions - they wear a burqa or hijab and look in surprise at foreign women with their heads uncovered. Others walk in our usual attire. Especially many of the latter were seen in the town of Ankawa, a kind of stronghold of sinfulness in Kurdistan.

There are many checkpoints between the cities where all passing cars are stopped for document checks. You, as tourists, most likely will not have any problems.

You will arouse more interest in the local population than they do in you. Everyone will take pictures with you, especially if you are a girl and blonde at the same time. We even thought about hanging a sign “photo with a blonde: 2000 dinars” and making some money. And now we regret that we didn’t do this.

It is much more serious if you decide to travel outside of Kurdistan to the south. As the Kurds themselves unanimously say, even for a million they won’t go towards Baghdad - there is a high chance they won’t be able to travel even ten kilometers. They will be killed, and you will be taken prisoner for a ransom, which, of course, no one will pay and you will go home in several sports bags. Although, perhaps the situation is much better than they say.

Cities

We managed to visit all the main cities except Sulaymaniyah, for which, unfortunately, we did not have enough time. In Sulaymaniyah there is a museum of the genocide of the Kurdish population and there is military equipment. Below is more information about the cities we visited.

Erbil (aka Arbil or Hawler)

Erbil is the capital of the Kurdish state. This rather large city with a population of about a million is comfortably located around the ruins of an ancient citadel. Erbil has a number of attractions and simply interesting objects.

The citadel is the ruins of an ancient city. Almost all of it is ruins. Try to sneak behind the fences unnoticed to climb through the many labyrinths. This is really interesting. There is no concept of floor or street. The rooms are stuck one on top of the other, hanging over narrow passages, the passages pass from the ground to the roofs through narrow rickety stairs. Unfortunately, security noticed us almost immediately and asked us to get out of these four-dimensional labyrinths.

These same warriors invited us to their place and treated us to their delicious lunch of millet porridge with a lot of chicken, and they were constantly trying to give us more. And then we sat with them in the relaxation room and drank tea! Apparently, tourists are rare there, since they showed us a lot of attention: they took pictures on their phones, fed, watered and told us as best they could about the citadel and Kurdistan. The citadel has a store with antiques from all over the world, where among the copies there are even Russian samovars.

Near the citadel is the city center with a fountain and market. There is nothing interesting on the market. Iraq itself produces practically nothing interesting for tourists, except kebab. All goods are either from China or Turkey.

There are many hookah smokers around the fountain. There are a bunch of photographers hanging around who, for 2,000 dinars, can take you an unforgettable photo right here and now and print it right away.

Erbil parks

Erbil also has several beautiful parks. Two of them are connected by a funicular.

They are located in the city center and can be found by following the "Minaret Park" sign on the roads. The parks are especially interesting in the evening. They are all simply strewn with blinking garlands. You can easily get an epileptic seizure from this sight. The funicular is turned on late in the evening; the ride is a little expensive, but worth it.

Entertainment center

And near the parks there is something that we did not expect to see in Iraq at all - a large entertainment center. It includes: a water park, ice skating rink, mini golf, paintball, shooting club, tennis and bowling. By chance we met the wonderfully English-speaking owner of this entire establishment. While playing golf, he told us a lot of interesting things about his business and life in Iraq.

A huge store built according to the Mega principle. There are a lot of international brand boutiques inside.

Prices there are no cheaper than in Okhotny Ryad; there are no locally produced goods. It’s worth a visit just to be happy for the local population and marvel at the pace of the country’s recovery. We even managed to give an interview to local television there.

Mosques are the same as everywhere else. They are used by the local population solely for their intended purpose and are not special attractions.

The largest mosque we noticed is located near the citadel.

Ankawa is a predominantly Christian area of ​​Erbil. Its residents told us that it is the richest city in all of Iraq. This is probably true.

The architecture here is slightly different: there are many beautiful cottages, and there is practically no street trading. Ankava is simply strewn with cheap wine and vodka shops ($20 per liter of Jack Daniels!), there are also bars and clubs, although the mood in the clubs is not at all clubby. Everyone simply reveled in modern oriental musical motifs. There is no dancing. And yet, the locals do not have a clear attitude towards alcohol, so it is better not to openly drink beer on the street. One local taxi driver refused to take us after seeing a bottle of whiskey.

There are several Christian churches and some strange religious organizations here. There are even sculptural compositions depicting in paint the process of the birth of Christ.

Visitors from other countries who have businesses in the country also settle in Ankawa. There we met Armenians, Georgians, and some missionaries from Europe or the USA. In general, the city is similar to a European cottage community, only each house is different from the other.

Interestingly, the people of Ankawa do not like the people of Erbil, and vice versa. During the New Year celebrations, entry into Ankawa from Erbil was generally closed by the military out of harm's way.

Ankawa is being developed by local authorities as a special economic zone. A tax deferment has been introduced here for 10 years, which gives a good impetus to the influx of investment and the emergence of business. So, I think that in a couple of years this settlement will be completely different from what we have seen so far.

Dohuk (aka Duhok)

We spent a little less than a day in Dohuk; it seemed to us more conservative than Erbil, and much larger in size. There are not many attractions in Dohuk.

Panorama

The panorama is a pedestal with two huge bronze sculptures, which, according to the idea, should be inserted into one another.

From there you can see the whole of Dohuk and the huge Kurdistan flag painted on the mountain. The panorama was built as a symbol of freedom and tolerance, which is why its full name is Freedom Panorama. Located near the city center.

It's beautiful here. In the heat you can probably swim. Under the dam there is a nice park with a waterfall and restaurants. A huge flag of Kurdistan is painted on the dam itself. The place is popular among tourists and locals who love to walk and take pictures here.

Surely there is something else in the city, but we no longer had time and we headed back to Turkey.

Amedi (Al-Amedi, Amedia, Al-Amadiah)

An ancient town located in a picturesque location on a flat mountain top. You can get there in a leisurely couple of hours by car from Dohuk. A local resident stated that the town was built at 200 years ago, but most likely the town is much older. In general, a couple of hours is enough to visit Amedee, unless you plan to have a picnic in its surroundings.

The town is very small and in itself is not of particular value. From its edges, which are quite clearly defined by a sheer cliff, there is a stunning view of the mountains.

The road to Amedi is very picturesque. Along the way there is Saddam's former house, and on the top of one of the mountains is his castle. But it seems you can only get there by helicopter.

There are several hotels and restaurants at the entrance to Amedee, but in the city itself we did not see a single cafe, restaurant or hotel.

Apparently, Amedi is the center of political life in Kurdistan. It contains many buildings bearing the names of Iraq's various political parties, including the Communist Party. There is also a small Turkish military base there.

Conclusion

There are no particularly interesting man-made or natural attractions there. But, if you want to break your mold, which is persistently imposed on you through television, be sure to visit this country. Kurdistan is a country that managed to recover from complete devastation in a very short time. Comparing it with Russia, one becomes ashamed of the Motherland. Being surrounded by the company of kind and sympathetic people of Kurdistan, you are surprised at the versatility of our world even in the modern era, when, it would seem, everything is already known, understandable and the same.

We also have a video report from this trip.

Gregory
09/02/2011 22:01

The opinions of tourists may not coincide with the opinions of the editors.

In the modern world, not every nation, even the most numerous, has its own state. There are many countries in whose territory several peoples live. This causes a certain tension in society, and the country's leadership has to listen carefully to all groups of the population. One good example of this is Iraqi Kurdistan. This is which has its own anthem (from Iraq), languages ​​(Kurmanji and Sorani), prime minister and president. The currency used in the Kurdistan Region is the Iraqi Dinar. People live on an area of ​​about 38 thousand square meters. km., total population 3.5 million people.

Features of Kurdistan

The Kurds settled across several territories, including Iraq. According to the country's recently adopted constitution, Iraqi Kurdistan has a status of broad autonomy, somewhat similar to that of a member of a confederation. But in fact, it turns out that the territories are semi-independent of the Iraqi government. However, the Catalans in Spain thought the same, but the main word always belonged to Madrid. And the country's authorities simply dissolved the Catalan parliament when the latter tried to express their opinion and secede from Spain.

Settlement of ethnic Kurds

But the East is a delicate matter, there are completely different rules and customs. The territories of ethnic Iraqi Kurdistan (a referendum at the end of 2005 made adjustments, completely legalizing the lands for the Kurds) include the following areas:

• Erbil.
• Soleimani.
• Dahuk.
• Kirkuk.
• Haneqin (specifically Diyala Governorate);
• Makhmur.
• Sinjar.

These are all areas where many ethnic Kurds live. But besides them, many other peoples settled in these territories. It is customary to call only three governorates directly the Kurdistan region - Sulaimani, Erbil and Dahuk.

The remaining lands inhabited by Kurds cannot yet boast of at least partial autonomy.

A referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan was planned to be held back in 2007. If everything succeeded, then the ethnic group living in the remaining territories of Iraq would gain independence, albeit partial. But the situation is constantly escalating - these lands are inhabited by a large number of Turkomans and Arabs who do not accept the laws of the Kurds and are, for the most part, opposed to them.

Features of the climate in Kurdistan

There are a large number of lakes and rivers on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan, the terrain is predominantly mountainous, the highest point is Mount Chik Dar, its peak is 3,611 meters above sea level. There are a lot of forests in the provinces - mostly in Dohuk and Erbil.

The total area of ​​forest plantations is 770 hectares. The authorities are landscaping and planting areas with forests. In total, three climatic zones can be distinguished in the territory of Kurdistan in Iraq:

1. Subtropics predominate in flat areas. Summers are hot and dry with temperatures of 40 degrees, and winters are mild and rainy.
2. Several zones with mountainous terrain, where winters are predominantly cold and snowy, but temperatures rarely drop below zero. In summer it is very hot in the highlands.
3. High mountain areas. Here the winters are very cold, the temperature is always below zero, the snow disappears closer to June-July.

History of South Kurdistan before joining Iraq

There are assumptions that the modern ethnic group of Kurds was formed on the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan. Median tribes originally lived here. Thus, the very first written source written in the Kurdish language was found near Sulaymaniyah - this parchment dates back to the 7th century. A short poem is written on it, lamenting the Arab attack and the destruction of Kurdish shrines.

In 1514, the Battle of Chaldiran took place, after which Kurdistan joined the possessions of the Ottoman Empire. In general, the population of Iraqi Kurdistan has lived on the same territory for many centuries. In the Middle Ages, several emirates existed on these lands with almost complete independence:

1. Sinjar is centered in the city of Lales.
2. Soran is the capital in Rawanduz.
3. Bahdinan is the capital in Amadia.
4. Baban is the capital of Sulaymaniyah.

In the first half of the 19th century, these emirates were completely liquidated by Turkish troops.

History of Kurdistan in the 19th century.

The first half of the 19th century was marked by the fact that in almost all territories of Iraqi Kurdistan there were uprisings against the rule of the Ottoman emperors. But these uprisings were quickly suppressed, and the Turks essentially re-conquered all the lands.

Most of the tribes that lived in hard-to-reach places were beyond the control of the Ottoman Empire. Some were able to maintain complete independence, others only partial. The entire 19th century was marked by the struggle for independence of certain tribes of Kurdistan.

Kurdistan at the beginning of the 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, during the First World War, British troops entered Kirkuk, and Russian troops entered Sulaymaniyah. This happened in 1917, but soon the revolution in Russia destroyed the entire front. And only the British remained in Iraq, who were actively opposed by the Kurds.

The resistance was commanded by Barzanji Mahmud, who declared himself the King of Kurdistan. The British planned to create a federation of Kurdish tribes in Mosul. But after the Kingdom of Iraq was formed, Mosul was included in the territory of Iraq.

One of the assumptions why this happened this way is that a large oil field was discovered near Kirkuk in 1922. And the Anglo-Saxons were very fond of “black gold” and were ready to do anything to possess it - to overthrow the legitimate government, exterminate peoples by committing genocide, and unleash long and bloody wars.

Turkey tried to lay claim to Mosul, arguing that the occupation of the territory by the British was illegal, but the League of Nations put a final stop in December 1925, taking into account the demarcation line.

Iraqi monarchy

After the transfer of Mosul to Iraq, the Kurds were declared national rights. In particular, only local residents could become officials in Kurdistan, and their language was equated to the state language - it had to be taught in educational institutions, and it should be the main one in office work and in the courts.

But, in fact, these rights were not realized - the officials were exclusively Arabs (at least 90% of the total), teaching was limited to a maximum of primary schools, and industrial development did not occur. No elections in Iraqi Kurdistan could correct the current situation.

Uprisings 1930-1940

There was obvious discrimination against Kurds - they were reluctantly accepted for work, military schools and universities. Sulaymaniyah was considered the capital of Kurdistan - it was from here that the self-proclaimed king Mahmoud Barzanji ruled. But, as soon as his last uprising was suppressed, the Barzan tribe of Kurds took on the main role.

In particular, power is in the hands of Ahmed and Mustafa Barzani. They lead a series of uprisings against the central authorities. In 1931-1932, the rebels obeyed Sheikh Ahmed, in 1934-1936. - Khalil Khoshavi. And Mustafa Barzani led them from 1943 to 1945.

With the outbreak of World War II, in 1939, the Khiva organization appeared in Iraqi Kurdistan, which means “hope” in Kurdish. But in 1944 there was a split in it - the Ryzgari Kurd party left it. In 1946, it united with the revolutionary Schorsch party and formed the new Democratic Party, led by Mustafa Barzani.

Period from 1950 to 1975

In 1958, the monarchy in Iraq was overthrown, which made it possible for the Kurds to be equalized with the Arabs for a short period of time. There was hope that improvements would occur in all spheres of life - both political and economic (in particular, agricultural). But hopes were not justified; in 1961, another Kurdish uprising took place, called the “September” uprising.

It lasted almost 15 years and ended only in 1975. The reason for the uprising was that the government, headed at that time by Kassem, chose the side of the Arabs, and, to put it mildly, did not care about the Kurds.

The rebel people had one slogan: “Freedom and autonomy for Kurdistan!” And in the first year, Mustafa Barzani took control of almost all the mountainous territories, whose population is almost one and a half million people.

In 1970, Saddam Hussein and Mustafa Barzani signed an agreement according to which the Kurds had full right to autonomy. Initially, it was said that within 4 years the development of a law on autonomy would be carried out. But at the beginning of 1974, official Baghdad unilaterally adopted a law that did not suit the Kurds.

Autonomy was granted, but only Kirkuk (which has huge oil reserves) remained with Iraq, and the Kurds were almost forcibly expelled from there. These territories were inhabited by Arabs.

Kurdistan during the reign of Saddam Hussein

After the defeat of the Kurds in 1975, mass emigration to Iran began. There could be no talk of any recognition of the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as elections and referendums. It was possible to fight with weapons in hand - this is exactly what happened in 1976. A new uprising began under the leadership of Jalal Talabani. But his power of resistance was simply insignificant. Therefore, although “autonomy” was proclaimed in three provinces, it was completely subordinate to Baghdad.

In 1980, the war began and the territory of Kurdistan became a battlefield. In 1983, the Iranians invaded Kurdistan, taking control of Penjwin and an area of ​​400 square meters around it within a few months. km. In 1987, the Iranians reached Soleimani, but were stopped near it. And in 1988, Iraq completely expelled its opponents from the territories of Kurdistan.

At the final stage, a purge took place - more than 180 thousand Kurds were taken out in army vehicles and destroyed. 700 thousand people were deported to camps. Of the 5,000 Kurdistan settlements, more than 4,500, most of them, were completely destroyed. Saddam treated the population harshly - villages were bulldozed, and people, if they could, fled to Iran or Turkey.

Present tense

Throughout the 1990s, what happened before was happening - the territories that historically belonged to the Kurds were thoroughly cleared. The indigenous population was expelled and sometimes exterminated. All lands were inhabited by Arabs and came under the complete control of Baghdad. But in 2003, the US invasion of Iraq began. The Iraqi Kurds took the side of the American troops. Iraq's long-term oppression of these people played a role.

It was on the territory of Kurdistan that the American military was transferred. At the end of March, the contingent numbered 1,000 fighters. But the Turks restrained the high activity of the Kurds - they threatened to use force in the event of an invasion of Mosul and Kirkuk.

After the fall of Baghdad, the Kurds finally gained autonomy. Several thousand companies are developing in Kurdistan and the emphasis is on tourism - there is something to see in the ancient lands. For foreign investors, investing in Iraqi Kurdistan is simply manna from heaven, as they are exempt from paying any taxes for as long as 10 years. Oil production is also actively developing - we can say that this is the basis of the economy of any country in the Middle East.

Erbil is the largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan. Moreover, it is one of the most ancient cities on earth, according to archaeologists - it has existed continuously since the 4th millennium BC. Erbil has been part of Iraq since 1921, and on March 11, 1974 it was declared the capital of the Kurdish autonomy in Iraq.
The city resembles a living, yellow and actively under construction anthill. Chaotic traffic of cars, people rushing about business... in a word, a peaceful, calm life.

Wedding:


Brisk trade in everything, everything, everything:


Just in case, there is a sign at the entrance to the park:


You can buy funny rugs.


Scarves for the belt:


Or this cheese:


Someone is looking for a job (this is a plumber, by the way):

There are no banks in Kurdistan, you cannot pay by card. However, there are no currency exchangers, except for these:


They accept euros and dollars and, what is especially pleasing, they do not deceive. Money for every taste, practically)). Here you can also buy a local SIM card and a top-up card. A kind seller will install it in your mobile phone.

In the center of the city, on a hill 30 meters high, there is a citadel. The Erbil Citadel was built approximately 5-6 thousand years ago and is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.


The stork’s nest is inviolable even for builders restoring walls:

According to some sources, the citadel consists of three quarters: Tophana, Saray and Taki and includes about 605 houses. What we saw after walking inside for 20-30 minutes did not inspire optimism, however, now the Citadel is being restored, we’ll see what happens in a few years


Of course, the flag is strengthened here too:

I read somewhere that now only 1 family lives in the citadel - they left it there on purpose so that this place would continue to be permanently inhabited. Otherwise, there is a lot of garbage stored in the citadel and the authorities are trying to restore something...
Already on the way out of the city, we stopped to buy a watermelon, and the seller did not miss the opportunity to sing to us on the occasion of such a pleasant meeting.



At the exit from Erbil, in the mountains there are tanks as a monument to the military operations that took place here, or rather, this is already a kind of shell of the tanks - what is left of them.


Favorite place for locals to take photos

Given the extremely unstable and dangerous situation in Iraq, it is the city of Erbil that will become the most “historical” place available for tourists to visit. Of course, ancient Mesopotamia is rich in such unique monuments as Nineveh, Babylon, Nimrud, Ur. Unfortunately, some of these ancient cities were destroyed in 2003 during the capture of Iraq by the American army (about the destruction of monuments), and those that survived are located in the Arab sector, where there is a high risk of being simply killed. Thus, a tourist entering Iraqi Kurdistan is very limited in terms of archaeology. There is no such abundance of monuments in the Kurdish territories as in the Arab part. A pleasant exception is ancient Erbil: the capital of Kurdistan and one of the oldest cities in the world.

A little history

So, in our time, Erbil (aka Howler in Kurdish) is the capital of a de facto independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq. In the center of the city stands a huge fortress, which originally appeared here in the 5th millennium BC, in other words, it is at least 7000 years old, and maybe more. Of course, the walls that we see today were built much later, during the Arab period, but excavations are being carried out on the territory of the fortress itself, indicating its ancient origin. By the way, it was here, near Erbil, that the decisive battle took place between the troops of Alexander the Great and the Persian king Darius. Then Erbil became a stronghold of early Christianity, then, being captured by Emir Timur (yes, the same one who is now the national hero of Uzbekistan), it experienced total Islamization. And ultimately, in 1918, Erbil, along with all of Iraq, was captured by the British, gaining independence from the latter in 1932.

It is noteworthy that in 1945 it was the USSR that contributed to the creation of the Kurdish “Republic of Mehabad” in northern Iraq, under the leadership of Mustafa Barzani. As we know, Soviet troops were in the northern part of Iran during this period. The new republic did not last long, because immediately after the departure of Soviet troops, Iranian troops entered here, committing brutal massacres not only against the Kurds, but also against local Assyrian Christians. Few people know that thousands of commanders and fighters of the Kurdish underground led by Barzani found refuge in the USSR, more precisely in Baku, where they were based since 1951. Barzani himself lived and studied in Moscow until 1958, when he and his fighters returned to Iraq.

In 1970, the confrontation between the Baghdad authorities led by Saddam Hussein and the Kurds living in the north and Erbil sharply escalated. This leads to the creation of a kind of autonomy with Erbil as its capital. A Kurdish parliament and various national governance institutions appear in the city. However, Saddam saw the Kurds as a threat to the integrity of Iraq, and reduced all their autonomous independence to just one name. Then there were years of guerrilla warfare between the Iraqi army and the Kurds. The situation reached its apogee with the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, when the Kurds took a clearly pro-Iranian position. Here Saddam gave himself free rein by starting the “preventive genocide” of the Kurds. During the years of the Iran-Iraq war, at least 100 thousand Kurds died, the vast majority of whom became victims of the massacre committed by Saddam. By the way, it is noteworthy that Saddam was sentenced to death in 2006 precisely for his actions against the Kurds, and specifically for the use of chemical weapons in the village of Khalyabja, where about 5,000 villagers died in a matter of hours.

Kurdistan and Israel

A separate interesting topic. The de facto independence of Iraqi Kurdistan has created an unusual precedent in light of relations between the Arab states and Israel. The fact is that the central leadership of Iraq, meeting in Baghdad, does not recognize Israel and does not allow Israeli citizens in. In this context, their policy is no different from the boycott of Israel by Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran and some other Muslim countries. But one of the symbols of Kurdish independence was that they recognized Israel and allowed Israeli tourists in absolutely freely, like everyone else. This fact clearly undermines the legitimacy of the Baghdad leadership and once again indicates that the integrity of Iraq has long been a myth. An interesting article on the topic of relations between Israel and the Kurds was written by my good friend and wonderful orientalist journalist Ksenia Svetlova in the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

Erbil itself, as I saw it

Since 2003, when all influence of the Arabs from Baghdad led by Saddam was neutralized, Erbil has become a full-fledged capital of Kurdistan. Observing this city these days, one cannot help but notice how much the Kurds have accomplished over the past 7 years. From complete destruction and poverty they created a fairly well-kept civilized city. And let them owe a lot to the Americans, who are investing considerable sums in the reconstruction of Iraq. So, after all, the money was invested in good things, and not stolen, as is customary in some places.

Erbil Citadel

Of course, the main attraction of the city is

View of the city from the walls of the citadel

View from above of the Erbil citadel. Photo taken from the website of the Ministry of Transport of Kurdistan

Until recently, people lived inside this huge citadel. Mostly poor people and refugees. Several years ago, local authorities carried out a planned relocation of three thousand residents of the citadel to new houses in a residential area of ​​Erbil. Now there is a gradual restoration of the interior of the fortress. For now, there’s not much to do inside, except maybe visit the interesting carpet museum and stroll along the stalker-like streets - why not?

The city is full of new buildings, there are powerful road junctions at the exits, half a dozen universities, many museums and parks. By the way, Erbil’s parks impressed me - it’s something! In the next report I’ll tell you more about them, believe me, they deserve it. Lovers of oriental exotica can stroll through the colorful bazaar -

Kurdistan graffiti

After years of war and terror, it is not difficult to understand why any institution of any significance is surrounded by concrete blocks to protect against suicide bombers. Not to mention the complex of buildings of the Kurdistan Parliament. I was not allowed to photograph this elegant building, but I managed to take a photo of at least the concrete fence around it. Pay attention to the graffiti with a burning bus -

But there is graffiti in different parts of Erbil, in particular on walls around schools and universities. I am encouraged by optimism and faith in a better future despite everything -

Finally, just one photo from the wonderful Menare Park in the center of Erbil. I’ll tell you more about the parks separately, as I said above, but for now, for a general idea -

Exhibition of young artists in Menare Park, more on that in the next report!

In the heart of Iraqi Kurdistan is the city of the country - Erbil. In the middle of the city there is an ancient citadel, rising at an altitude of about 30 meters and located on an area of ​​over 100 thousand square meters. m.

According to scientists, this citadel was built at least five thousand years BC, in order to protect against constant sieges. Permanent settlements settled on its territory one thousand years later. The fortress embankment rises at an angle of 45 degrees. The fortress wall consists of the facades of residential buildings built close to each other. In total, there are about a hundred houses along the perimeter. Initially, the entrance to the city was only from the southern slope. Later, two more entrances were added. Throughout the twentieth century, the population of the citadel steadily decreased and, according to the 1995 census, there were 1,600 inhabitants for approximately 500 houses.

Erbil is the third largest city in Iraq after Baghdad and Mosul. The city is located eighty kilometers east of Mosul, and is the capital of Kurdistan.

The city was under the rule of many regional powers during this time, such as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Sassanids, Arabs and Turks. The city's archaeological museum contains only pre-Islamic artifacts.

The modern city of Erbil stands on top of an Ottoman fortress. During the Middle Ages, Erbil became a major trading center on the route between Baghdad and Mosul, a role it still plays today as an important transport link to the outside world. The population of Assyrian Christians (about 20,000) live mainly in suburbs such as Ankawa.

The Kurdistan Autonomous Parliament was established in Erbil in 1970 after negotiations between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by Mustafa Barzani, but was effectively controlled by Saddam Hussein until the Kurdish uprising in the late 1991 Gulf War. The legislature ceased to function effectively in the mid-1990s, when fighting began between the two main Kurdish factions, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The city was captured by the KDP in 1996 with the assistance of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government. The PUK then created an alternative Kurdish government in Sulaymaniyah. The KDP claims that as of March 1996 the PUK asked for Iranian help in fighting the KDP. Considering this as a foreign attack on Iraqi soil, the KDP asked the central Iraqi government for assistance.

The Kurdish parliament in Erbil convened after a peace agreement was signed between the Kurdish parties in 1997, but had no real power. The Kurdish government in Erbil had control only in the western and northern parts of the autonomous region.

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the United States Special Forces task force was headquartered just outside Erbil. The city was the site of ecstatic celebrations on April 10, 2003, after the fall of Baghdad.

Erbil Citadel is an ancient citadel located in northern Mesopotamia in the center of the city of Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan.

The citadel was built on layers of archaeological excavations that represent successive historical settlements since the construction of the first village took place around the 6th millennium BC. The total area of ​​this citadel is 102,000 square meters and it rises 26 meters from ground level.

Scientists have found that the history of the city begins in the 11th century BC and can be traced back to the 4th century BC. The city was originally called Urbilum (or "City of the Four Sanctuaries"). It was near it that the legendary battle took place between Alexander the Great and Darius III, immortalized in history as the Battle of Gaugamela-Arbela in 331 BC.

The main North Asian trade route, the Royal Road, passed through Erbil; it connected the central part of the Persian kingdom with the shores of the Aegean Sea. That is why in modern Erbil one can often find Sumerian and Assyrian influences, as well as monuments of the Sassanids, Parthia, and the first Christian and Islamic buildings. Traces of the Ottoman and Mongol empires are very noticeable.

Mudafariyya Minaret (or Broken Minaret) is the second main attraction of Erbil. Its height is 33 m, and it was founded in the 13th century. You should definitely visit the ancient Qaysari bazaar, which is located south of the citadel. The very first trading shops appeared here during the times of the Assyrians, and the complex itself dates back to the 16th-19th centuries.

Fans of architectural delights will be happy to see the magnificent, albeit slightly pompous, building of the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament, as well as the complex of ministries located nearby.

You should definitely check out the Museum of Civilization, which displays a rich collection of cultural objects from the pre-Islamic period. Interesting is the Ethnographic Museum and Institute named after. Salah ad-Din, and nature lovers will be delighted with the Kani-Omar-Aga waterfalls located near the city.

Here you can watch blogger puerrtto’s journey around the city - http://puerrtto.livejournal.com/110706.html

It was here that the Persian king Darius III gathered his armies from the subject peoples to repel the Macedonians. The city became famous thanks to the decisive victory it won near Arbel (more precisely, near the town of Gaugamela, 75 km northwest of Arbel) in 331 BC. e. Alexander the Great over the Persian king Darius III. After the defeat, Darius fled through this city, and ancient historians call the battle itself the Battle of Arbela, although a more geographically accurate name has now been established - the Battle of Gaugamela. In the 3rd century. BC e. - III century the capital of the small kingdom of Adiabene, (otherwise “Arbelitis”), subject to Parthia, then became the capital of the governorship of the Sassanid state. Adiabene is known in Jewish tradition for the fact that its rulers at the beginning of the century. e. accepted Judaism; but by the end of antiquity Christianity became the main religion of the population. The city is famous for the martyrdom of 350 Christians during the persecution in 345. In general, Assyrian Christians remained the main population of Erbil and the surrounding area until the defeat of the city by Timur (1397), when only one Assyrian village survived. From 642 Erbil, along with all of Mesopotamia, fell under the rule of the Arabs and began to become Islamized.

In 1144, the Turkic atabek Zeinuddin Ali Kuchuk turned Erbil into the center of an independent emirate. This emirate flourished under the emir Muzafar ed-Din Gokburu (1190 - 1232), son-in-law of the Egyptian Sultan Saladin. In the Muslim world, Muzaffar is famous for introducing the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad - the first such holiday was held with great luxury in Erbil in 1207. Under Muzaffar, several buildings were built that have survived to this day, including the second (after the citadel) landmark city ​​- Muzaffariyya Minaret (now better known as the “Broken Minaret”) - a 33-meter tower that was once part of the madrasah complex.

Muzaffar also built the Kaisariya bazaar, which is also preserved (in a rebuilt form). During the same era, the famous Muslim historian and writer, Kurdish Ibn Khalikan, was born in Erbil. In 1258, after a year-long siege, the city was captured by the Mongols and ruled it until 1410 (that is, until the death of Timur). Then it was owned by the short-lived states of Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu and Shah Ismail Safavid. The city was taken from the latter in 1517 by the Turks, whose power remained for exactly 400 years. In November 1918, Erbil was occupied by the British, who made it the capital of a special governorate. Since 1921, part of Iraq.