Middle East - Anthony Ham [193]
Sulav Travel & Tourism ( 0750 769 0202, 0750 769 0303; 30 Meter St; 9am-5pm, closed Fri) Across from Erbil International Hotel.
VISA EXTENSIONS
Directorate of Residency (Shlama Rd, Ainkawa; 8am-3pm, closed Fri) In the Ministry of Interior satellite building.
Sights
THE CITADEL
The heart of Erbil is the citadel (Kurdish: Qalat Hawler), claimed to be the longest continuously inhabited urban area on earth. This imposing tell, or mound, covers an area of 102,000 sq metres and rises 32m above street level, built on layers of successive settlements. A ring of fortified honey-yellow walls tops the citadel. Inside this city within a city are hundreds of little stone and mud-brick homes, many built directly into the walls. In the centre of town is the Grand Mosque and Citadel Bath, built in 1775 on top of an older structure and featuring a colourfully tiled minaret.
The citadel has been continuously inhabited for at least 8000 years – sort of. Until recently, it was home to more than 3000 of Erbil’s poorest people, many of them refugees who had fled war-torn regions of Iraq. Human action was wreaking havoc on the citadel. So in a controversial November 2006 move, the KRG paid off and resettled residents to make way for redevelopment. Most of the citadel is now an eerie, crumbling ghost town, but one family remains in order to not break the continuous habitation streak. Unesco and the KRG recently announced plans to renovate the citadel.
The main entrance into the citadel is the South Gate, guarded by a colossal statue of 12th-century historian Mubarek Ahmed Sharafaddin. Pass through the gate and make an immediate right to reach three fine, 19th century buildings that now house museums and shops.
The Kurdish Textile Museum ( 251 1660; www.kurdishtextilemuseum.com; admission free; 9am-6pm) contains a fascinating, colourful collection of Kurdish carpets, clothing and other goods. The museum’s wonderfully addictive gift shop accepts MasterCard and Visa. Next door, Antikqala is an eclectic and pricey antiques shop that also accepts credit cards.
The last house on this street is home to Centre Arthur Rimbaud ( 0750 477 7636; www.ar-erbil.org; admission free), a French and Kurdish cultural exchange centre. It occasionally hosts exhibits by Iraqi artists. On most Saturday nights, French and European films with English subtitles are screened in the centre’s open-air courtyard.
Take time to stroll through the abandoned alleyways and structures of the citadel, a city frozen in time.
MARTYR SAMI ABDUL-RAHMAN PARK
Also known as Erbil Park, Martyr Sami Abdul-Rahman Park (60 Meter St; admission free; 8am- midnight), across from the Kurdish Parliament Building, is one of the most beautiful urban spaces in Iraq. Opened in 2006, this oasis of fountains, lakes and gardens was built over what was previously a military base for Saddam Hussein’s feared 5th Corps Army. On Fridays, the park is packed with families and young couples enjoying picnics. Take the time to stop and smell the many rose gardens. The large lake in the centre of the park rents swan-shaped paddleboats and speedboat rides. There are many cafés and restaurants around the park, including the popular Park Restaurant (Click here).
The park is named for the KRG deputy prime minister who was killed in a 2004 suicide bombing. A large black obelisk memorial near the entrance to the park lists the names of the 98 people killed in that attack.
QAYSARI BAZAAR
Erbil’s huge bazaar ( 8am-late, closed Fri) is one of the oldest in the world. It wraps around the entire southern half of the citadel, where you can literally find anything. It’s a maze of narrow alleys and streets, much of it covered by a corrugated metal roof to protect shoppers from the blazing Iraqi sun. The bazaar is divided into various sections. The western side has many book stalls. The south side is filled with clothing stores and shops selling fresh yogurt and honey and cheese. The east side contains hardware, electronics and bootleg DVDs and video games. It’s easy to get lost in