The quiet was absolute before it got interrupted by my ringing phone. Its screen was the sole radiant object within our otherwise pitch-dark room. I pressed the answer button to silence it and hear Ibraheem’s voice. “We are downstairs,” it said. “We’ll be there in a minute,” I responded. He was meant to come at 6 am, but it wasn’t even a quarter-to yet. I wiped the sleep off my … [Read more...]
In Soran and Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan
A volley of curious gazes converged upon us as soon as we exited the car, in the middle of a bustling street in downtown Soran. This city, hosting some 125,000 inhabitants, is the major population center within the remote, mountainous region of northeastern Iraqi Kurdistan. Needless to say that it’s not a touristic hotspot.We weren’t originally planning to stay there; didn’t … [Read more...]
Traveling to Erbil: The Capital City of Iraqi Kurdistan
The sun had set over Diyarbakir: Turkey’s most populous Kurdish city. The heat had subsided. And after the Turkish fighter jets’ intimidating flights over the rooftops came to a pause, the quiet was reinstated. It was time to go.We were soon sitting on the curb of a dark street, backpacks lying on the side, waiting for the bus. As minutes elapsed and no such appeared, I … [Read more...]
Climbing Iraq’s Highest Mountain was an Unusual Hiking Adventure
Disclaimer: Although you may find some practical information about the route in it, this story is principally intended for a creative travelogue, and not a reliable route description. One attempting to climb Mount Halgurd independently must recognize that it entails dangers transcending all levels of hiking experience.Planning a trekking trip in IraqWhy do you travel?To take a … [Read more...]
Mosul: An Iraqi City Recovering after 4 Years of Islamic-State Rule
Mosul has never been your typical travel bucket-list inclusion. More recently, it may have rather topped the list of your most sure-to-get-killed places on the planet—by murder, or suicide if by any chance you are a jihadi. But since it got liberated from ISIS in July 2017, it’s been twinkling on my wanderlust’s radar.I intend this as a unique travel story and not a rephrasing … [Read more...]
Two Lone Tourists In Baghdad
We were very lucky it was overcast over the city of Erbil. That’s not a common occurrence. And it happened on the perfect day: the day we had to spend in its entirety dawdling outside.Erbil isn’t a city with vast forested parks full of shaded benches. It is a city with broad streets and empty lots, interspersed by sparse, glass and concrete vertical surfaces. We would have … [Read more...]
