Middle East - Anthony Ham [183]
Masgouf is popular across Iraq, but particularly in cities along the Tigris River; at ID20,000 per plate, it’s considered a delicacy reserved for special occasions. Each restaurant has its own special recipe but the basics are the same. The fish is a bony, mild freshwater carp native to the Tigris. Fishermen still catch it as they have for centuries by casting large nets into the Tigris River, but most carp is now farmed. The fish is butterflied open, spiced with salt, pepper and tamarind, placed on wooden skewers and slow cooked next to a roaring fire. It’s usually served with grilled vegies and fresh nan bread.
And the taste? Absolutely divine – sweet, buttery and flaky with a smoky wood flavouring. Just mind those bones.
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Just south along the river stands Mustansiriyya School, one of the oldest Islamic universities in the world.
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SLEEPING & EATING
Most foreign visitors stay in military or government housing in the Green Zone. At the time of writing, there were only two hotels safe for foreign guests: the once-ritzy al-Rasheed Hotel (Green Zone; r from $75; ) and al-Hamra Hotel ( 776 1805; www.alhamrasuitehotel.com; Jadriyah St; r from $60; ).
Please note that it remains unsafe for foreigners to dine in public.
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SOUTHERN IRAQ
Southern Iraq is the spiritual homeland of the Shiites. The sacred cities of Najaf and Karbala attract pilgrims from around the world. The region is also awash with legends of the past, from the port city of Basra – where Sinbad the Sailor set out on his epic journeys – to the ancient sites of Babylon, Ur and the Garden of Eden. The Marsh Arabs, whose culture has changed little in millennia, make their homes among the reeds of the marshlands.
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BABYLON
Babylon is Iraq’s most famous archaeological site, and one of the most important in the world. Its very name has become synonymous with depravity and hubris. Babylon dates back to at least 2300 BC. It was the capital city of two of the most famous kings of antiquity: Hammurabi (1792–1750 BC), who introduced the world’s first law code, and Nebuchadnezzar (604–562 BC), who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Today, little remains of ancient Babylon except for several mounds and the famous Lion of Babylon, a basalt statue carved more than 2500 years ago. The original Ishtar Gate and Processional Way are now located in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum. In the 1980s, Saddam Hussein rebuilt the Ishtar Gate and several palaces, stamping his name into every brick. After the 2003 invasion, coalition forces built a military camp on Babylon that severely damaged the site. After international outcry, coalition forces turned over Babylon to the Iraqi Cultural Ministry. It remains off limits to visitors.
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KARBALA
032 / pop 572,300
Located 108km southwest of Baghdad, Karbala is one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites and of great significance to all Muslims. It’s best known for the Battle of Karbala in AD 680, whereafter Islam would forever be divided between Sunni and Shiite sects (Click here). Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, and his half-brother Abbas ibn Ali were killed in the battle. Both are buried in shrines under two golden-domed mosques that attract millions of pilgrims every year, particularly on the Day of Ashura. Banned under Saddam Hussein, the holy day commemorates the death of Ali and is marked by mourning, praying, fasting and even self-inflicted injury – devout men practice self-flagellation,