How to travel solo to Iraq

Iraq is mostly known as a dangerous, demolished country, stained with blood from the countless wars of the recent years, starring ISIS, Saddam Hussein and the USA. The media usually promote it as an ugly country full of ruins, debris and locals-terrorists, posing with a gun on one hand and a bomb on the other. But, what about the oldest civilizations in the world, the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians, the fertile land of Mesopotamia, Alexander the Great who conquered, lived and died in Babylonia, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Biblical Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Baghdad of Halima’s tales, the hidden gems shrines of the Holy Muslim cities, and the ancient history of our school books?

My trip to Iraq was delayed for 2 years. My plans didn’t work out the way I wanted that time, so that year I replaced it with Syria. Last April though, everything came in handy and I found myself wandering around Federal Iraq alone for 12 days, following 5 days around the Iraqi Kurdistan.

My epic adventure started from Istanbul to Kuwait by plane. From there, I crossed the Kuwait-Iraq land border and visited Basra, Nasiriya, the Mesopotamian marshes, Diwaniya, Babylon, the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, ending up in the capital Baghdad.

All those days I experienced unforgettable moments, I was hosted by families, met amazing people, tried local delicacies, I hitchhiked, traveled by buses & shared taxis and visited ancient cities and beautiful temples. I even experienced for the first (and last, I hope) time in my life, the horror of war, when suddenly around midnight and while relaxing at my hosts’ place in Babylon, an Israeli rocket passed over our heads and landed on an Iranian base 10 km away, causing a huge explosion and troubles to the locals. It was actually those days in April, when the tension between Iran and Israel had peaked, once again.

Baghdad felt like it was straight out of the Middle Eastern folk tales “1000 and 1 nights”, and I loved it for no particular reason! I was enchanted by the unique sunset over the Tigris River, the numerous bazaars, the beautiful neighborhoods with their colorful graffiti, the impressive Shiite temples, and the old, wooden, destroyed houses of the old city center. Sure thing, I will never forget the strong smell of the Arabic coffee with cardamom I was enjoying every day in their cozy and unique traditional coffee shops, together with the lovely people of this country!

I passed by the town of Samarra, with the impressive minaret which was unfortunately closed, but thankfully, the similar yet smaller Abu Dulaf minaret was free and open to visit, just 20km away. Tikrit and Mosul next, the two legendary cities destroyed by ISIS, having left walls full of bullet holes and ruined houses. Indeed in Mosul, you still walk on corpses buried under the collapsed buildings, while the stones are painted red as a reminder that one wrong step can be fatal! From there, I continued to Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkish Kurdistan and finally back to Istanbul.

The landscape of the country did not impress me like in other countries of the region, but the Iraqis were the biggest surprise and won me over from the first moment I set foot on the border! I have no words for the kindness, hospitality and sense of humor of these people!

Starting with my friendly hosts, the random people who were asking about my name and nationality, the vendors who didn’t let me pay for anything, the taxi drivers who didn’t accept money, the policemen who were willing to help me anytime, the soldiers at the check points who were joking about my Arabic skills, the local travelers on the buses who were constantly inviting me home; everyone was kind, hospitable, respectful and made me feel safe in this long-suffering country, from the first moment.

This trip exceeded my expectations! It’s now a part of those special ones, that when you return, you miss everything and nothing is the same anymore. You forget the hard moments, the anger, the difficulties and simply miss the people you’ve met, the smells, the tastes, the music, but above all, the feelings you had while there!

 

I departed Mesopotamia leaving behind a piece of my heart, and I brought unforgettable memories and that delicious Arabic coffee with cardamom.. this way I’ll keep on dreaming of my endless walks around fascinating Baghdad with Shahrazad and Aladdin, listening to the enchanting Arabian music!

BASRA

Basra was my first stop coming from Kuwait. I arrived late at night and was hosted by locals who showed me around the city the next day. Its location near the Persian Gulf and the oil fields of the wider area makes Basra the richest city in Iraq, first thing you notice from the moment you arrive, due to the reconstruction and the luxury cars on the streets! There is no actual tourist interest here and it is visited mainly by businessmen and travelers arriving from Kuwait.

Points of interest in Basra:

 

• The old town and the buildings of the unique architecture with the wooden balconies, which unfortunately have remained abandoned and damaged
• The promenade (Corniche) on the river Shatt – Al Arab

* I was hosted by locals for 1 night and moved around by private car

NASIRIYA – UR TEMPLE – THE MESOPOTAMIAN MARSHES

Nasiriyah is known mainly because of its location on the banks of the Euphrates River, near the ancient city of Ur, which is also the main attraction of the area. The great ziggurat of Ur is the best preserved of all the temple complexes built by the Sumerians, known in the Mesopotamia region. Private transport is required to visit the ancient city, since it is located in the middle of the desert, west of Nasiriyah.

Another interesting part of the wider region is the wetland of the Al-Chibayish province, the land of the Marsh Arabs. Known as the Madans, one of the most ancient communities of Mesopotamia who have developed a unique culture closely linked to the landscape, they have lived in the marshes and still are living around, among tributaries, lagoons and canals, while some villages are built in artificial islands of mud, burl and reeds. Their main occupation is reed and rice harvesting, fishing and water buffalo herding. The draining of parts of the swamps that began in the 1950s and continued into the 1990s during Saddam Hussein’s presidency to reclaim land for agriculture and oil exploration, had the effect of displacing many of these local residents. After the American overthrow of Hussein in 2003, the swamps have partially recovered and the Madans are trying to return to their “homeland” keeping their traditional way of life.

Ziggurat Temple of Ur

Nasiriya

the Mesopotamian marshes

Points of interest in the area:

 

• Nasiriya city center
• The ancient city of Ur and the Ziggurat Temple of Ur
• Iraq’s largest prison Al Hoot, in the middle of the desert between the town and the temple of Ur
• The 40’ boat ride around the Mesopotamian marshes, by a traditional pirogue

* Entrance fee to the archaeological site of UR: 25,000 IQD

* Price of the boat ride and dinner with the local fish Masgouf: 35,000 IQD

* I was hosted by locals, 1 night in Nasiriya and 1 in Diwaniya on my way back from the marshes

ANCIENT BABYLON 

Babylon, the famous city that for centuries was the capital of the ancient Babylonian state, was built on both banks of the Euphrates River. Known for its hanging gardens, the Tower of Babel, the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, but also as the last place of residence of Alexander the Great, the archaeological site is located north of the town of Hela and is open to public during the daytime. The Gate of Ishtar, the blue entrance to the archaeological site is a replica, its upper part is on display in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, and parts of it can be found in many museums around the world, as well as in the National Museum in Baghdad. Apart from part of the walls, the lion statue and the ancient theater, no other monuments have survived and the archaeological site is mostly empty.

Just right behind the ancient Babylon, one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces is built on the neighboring hill, overlooking the archaeological site on one side, and the valley of Mesopotamia and the Euphrates River on the other. The palace is abandoned and damaged, but can be visited without an extra fee and its entrance, which is guarded, is located behind the ancient city.

Views to the ancient Babylon from the Palace

Saddam Hussein’s palace from Babylon

Points of interest in Babylon:

 

• The archaeological site and the lion statue of Babylon
• The ancient theater
• Saddam Hussein’s palace

* Entrance fee to the archaeological site: 25,000 IQD

* I was hosted by locals for 1 night close to Babylon, and moved around by private car

NAJAF & KARBALA & THE WORLD’s LARGEST CEMETERY

Najaf is the second holiest city in Iraq after Karbala, and one of the most important Shia Muslim Holy cities in the world. It is known as the burial place of Ali, and the main attraction is the huge Imam Ali shrine, famous for the golden dome and the luxurious interior decorated with countless mirror pieces. It’s located near the center of the town and considered as an important pilgrimage for Muslims.

Men and women enter the shrine through different doors without shoes, just like in every Muslim shrine and mosque. Body control is very strict, and power-banks, selfie sticks, cameras, lipsticks or any other kind of make-up are not allowed inside, and should be placed in special lockers in the vestibule of the shrine. Photography and video recording inside the mausoleum hall is forbidden, while the female guards who inspect the area use a feather to “beat” disobedient female visitors. Except for the annoying crowds inside the temple, that “feather hunting” was pretty funny!

Najaf is also famous for Wadi al-Salam, the world’s largest cemetery that stretches across the city. Its size is unimaginable, it houses about 6,000,000 corpses and you have a sight of graves as far as the eye can see. It is impossible not to notice it, since the tombs are placed everywhere, even next to the main road. The cemetery is a 1,400-year-old necropolis still in use. And in fact, it almost doubled during Iraq’s last war with ISIS, since around 200-250 new bodies were brought in every day, mostly young people killed in battle, leaving no room for the elderly who die of natural causes.

I arrived in the city around noon, after my visit to the ancient Babylon. At first, I visited the main temple, and shortly before leaving for Karbala, I strolled through the tombs that were relatively close to the temple. Since I don’t have a drone, the locals sent me to a tall building (an open car park) where I had the best view of the entire cemetery and managed to take these photos from the top floor.

Points of interest in Najaf:

 

• The amazing Shiite shrine Imam Ali
• The largest cemetery in the world Wadi al-Salam

The holiest city in Iraq is also one of the holiest cities for Shiites after Mecca and Medina. Imam Hussain was martyred in Karbala and his shrine in the center of the old city is a place of pilgrimage for many Shiites, especially on the anniversary of the battle, the day of Ashura. There are two main temples and the entry regulations are exactly the same as for the Najaf temple, while the pedestrian street leading to the temples is lined with local restaurants and clothing shops. Although after sunset the entire old town is flooded with local and tourist pilgrims, there is no better time to stroll around the open-air market, while the bright lights of the temples create a very unique vibe.

Karbala left me with the best impressions, taking the place of my second favorite city after Baghdad. In addition to its very impressive center, I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and generosity of its friendly residents, who treated me everywhere like family!

Points of interest in Karbala:

 

• The neighboring Shia shrines, Imam Hossain & Abu Fadhl Abbas
• The main pedestrian street with the open-air market
• The vast bazaars behind the shrines
  

* I was hosted for 1 night in the new city of Karbala in a local hotel, and moved around the city by taxis, using the app Baly

Useful information

Visa on arrival at the border of Kuwait – Iraq Safwan (VOA): price for the Greek passport $80 (€74.50). Payment in US dollars only (they do not accept any other currency)

Currency: Iraqi dinar / 1€ = 1415 IQD (exchange offices can be found everywhere on the streets)

Local SIM card: Asiacell network offers a great variety of data packages. I bought a card with 20 Gb, paying 26,500 IQD for 20 days

Entrance fee to museums, monuments, ancient sites: 25,000 IQD each

Indicative prices for food/drinks:

• Arabic coffee: 1,000-3,000 IQD
• Ayran: 1,000 IQD
• Falafel sandwich: 1,000-1,500 IQD
• Kebab: 3,500 IQD
• Breakfast omelet & juice: 5,000 IQD
• Kunafa: 2,000-3,000 IQD
• Full meal in a good restaurant: 11,000 IQD

Transportation within the cities:  Baly taxi app and city buses

Indicative prices in Baghdad:

• Tahrir Square – Kadhimiya: 5,800 IQD by Baly taxi
• Kadhimiya – center/old town: 3,500 – 4,500 IQD by Baly taxi
• City bus ticket: 250 – 500 IQD / one-way

Cost of moving around the country:

• Basra – Nasiriyah: 15,000 IQD by shared taxi
• Nasiriyah – Chibayish /swamps: 5,000 IQD by shared taxi
• The Marshes – Chibayish bus station (garage): 2,000 IQD by normal taxi
• Chibayish bus station (garage) – Nasiriyah: 3,000 IQD by bus
• Nasiriyah – Diwaniya: 15,000 IQD by normal taxi
• Diwaniya – Hila (Babylon): 5,000 IQD by bus
• Hila (Babylon) – Najaf: 3,000 IQD by bus
• Najaf – Karbala center: 3,000 IQD by bus
• Karbala center – bus station (garage): 3,000 IQD by normal taxi
• Karbala – Baghdad: 3,500 IQD by bus
• Baghdad – Samarra: 15,000 IQD by shared taxi
• Samarra – Tikrit bus station (garage): 10,000 IQD by normal taxi
• Tikrit garage – Mosul: 25,000 IQD by shared taxi
• Mosul bus station (garage) – city center: 5,000 IQD by normal taxi

Travel insurance: I booked a 1-month policy from the Spanish company IATI, which covers countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Mali, etc. Price: €97

Dress code and Safety for Female Travelers:

The cities of Najaf, Karbala and the Kadhimiya district of Baghdad are considered Holy cities of Islam and there are restrictions on the outfit both for men and women. Women must be dressed in an abaya (long dress) and cover the head with a hijab (headscarf) even outside the temples and all around thοse cities.

In the rest of the country a modest Western-style outfit is sufficient, like in most non-conservative Muslim countries.

I did not encounter any security issues, and just like everywhere, we should always be alert, use the common sense and respect the customs and traditions of each country.