Iraq

Places in Iraq

• Basra

  Basra, Iraq's third largest city, is a historic port on the Shatt al-Arab river. Once known as the 'Venice of the East' for its canals, it boasts ancient mosques, museums, and a rich cultural heritage.

  Atlas entry

• Dahuk

  Dahuk (Duhok) is the capital of Duhok Governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan, a city of approximately 250,000 inhabitants surrounded by mountains along the Tigris River. It offers a remarkably safe and welcoming alternative to the rest of Iraq, with mostly Kurdish and Assyrian residents who are accustomed to foreign visitors.

  Atlas entry

• Erbil

  Erbil is the capital and largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites of human civilization. It offers a mix of ancient history, modern malls, and a vibrant bazaar, while serving as a hub for the oil industry and NGOs.

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• Fallujah

  Fallujah is called the 'City of Mosques' with more than 200 mosques found throughout the city. It holds historical significance as the site of ancient Pumbedita, known for its large Jewish Talmudic academy.

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• Halabja

  Halabja is a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, capital of Halabja Governorate, about 446 miles northeast of Baghdad and 9 miles from the Iranian border. The city is known for the tragic chemical bombardment by the Ba'ath regime on March 16, 1988, which killed over 5,000 people.

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• Hillah

  Hillah serves as the practical gateway to Babylon, one of the world's most historically significant sites, located just 5 km north of the city. As the capital of Babylon Province with a population of approximately 456,000, it offers basic amenities and transport connections for visitors exploring southern Iraq's archaeological treasures.

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• Karbala

  Karbala is one of the holiest cities in Shia Islam, holding profound religious significance as the site where Prophet Muhammad's grandson Husayn was slain in the Battle of Karbala. The city attracts millions of pilgrims annually during Arbaeen, the 40-day mourning period following Husayn's martyrdom.

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• Kirkuk

  Kirkuk is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with a citadel dating back to 858 BCE sitting atop a 40-meter artificial mound. The city sits atop massive oil fields and sits at the crossroads of Kurdish, Arab, and Turkmen cultures, giving it a unique ethnic tapestry found nowhere else in Iraq.

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• Mosul

  Mosul is Iraq's second largest city and the major economic hub in northern Iraq, offering a rare glimpse into one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. The area around ancient Nineveh was the world's largest city around 700 BC, and Mosul itself dates back to at least 6000 BC.

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• Najaf

  Najaf is the third holiest site in Islam, after Mecca and Medina, making it a major destination for Shi'a pilgrims from around the world. The city houses the Imam Ali Mosque with its iconic gold-gilded dome, and adjacent Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery, reputedly the largest in the world.

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• Sinjar

  Sinjar (Shingal) is a predominantly Yazidi town in northwestern Iraq at the base of Mount Sinjar, which the Yazidi community considers sacred. The town holds deep religious significance as the location of the Chermera Temple on the mountain's highest peak, and it serves as a cultural landscape shaped by centuries of Yazidi tradition.

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• Sulemania

  Sulemania (Slemani) is Iraqi Kurdistan's cultural capital, founded in 1784 by Kurdish prince Ibrahim Pasha Baban. The city attracted Sorani-speaking Kurdish linguists and writers who developed Sorani literature, now commemorated with statues throughout parks and squares.

  Atlas entry