Middle East - Anthony Ham [199]
Dragon Restaurant ( 319 4440; Sarchnar Rd; mains ID5000-20,000; 11am-2.30pm & 6pm-10.30pm) Chinese food anybody? Dragon serves up traditional favourites such as stir-fried beef, spicy shrimp and fried noodles. The sweet-and-sour chicken is to die for. The great food makes up for lack of decor or customer service.
Drinking
Staying in tonight? There are dozens of liquor stores around town, particularly on Salim and Mamostayan Sts.
Jim Beam Bar ( 0770 533 9449; 6pm-1am) Its real name is Nenkasy, named after the legendary Mosul woman who was the first to brew beer in Iraq. But locals know this place better as the Jim Beam Bar because every square inch of the interior is covered in Jim Beam whiskey memorabilia. It’s situated less than 1km west of the city centre.
Sha’ab Chai Khana (Kawa St; tea ID500; 6am-7pm) Just to the right of Sara Internet, through an unmarked door, is the most famous men’s teahouse in town. It’s a traditional smoky establishment where old guys slap dominos loudly on the table and young blokes watch football on the telly. Peruse through the many old books and photos of Sulaymaniyah while drinking tiny, tulip-shaped cups of sweet tea. Sorry ladies, men only.
Entertainment
Bowling Centre (0770 366 8705; Malik Mahmoud St; bowling ID5000; noon-midnight) Opened in 2007, this mammoth ten-pin bowling alley has 16 lanes, a bar, snack shop and outdoor café. The huge upstairs hall contains a video arcade, pool tables, foosball (table football), air hockey, an internet café and bumper cars. On weekend nights, this is the place to see and be seen.
Sardam Gallery (Salim St; admission free). This new art gallery, inside the Sardam Publishing House, features rotating exhibits by local Kurdish artists. On Saturday afternoons, the gallery screens US and European movies in their original language, with Arabic subtitles.
Shopping
You can find most anything under the sun at the Grand Bazaar (Click here).
For something different, The World of Heritages ( 313 1582; Salim St; 9am-noon & 3-7pm, closed Fri) is an eccentric shop selling unique antiques, souvenirs and trinkets.
Shang Antiques ( 319 5444, 0770 152 3256; Sarchnar Rd; 9am-9pm, closed Fri) has a wonderful collection of gold and silver jewellery, antiques and women’s clothing.
For carpets, Tablo Show ( 0770 155 0460, 312 1788; Mamostayan St across from Sulaymaniyah Palace Hotel; 8am-8pm) has a nice selection of handmade carpets at reasonable prices.
Sulaimani Mall Palace (Salim St; 9am-6pm) is a gleaming new shopping mall selling all the latest Western fashions.
Getting There & Away
International flights arrive at Sulaymaniyah International Airport (www.sulairport.net), about 15km west of the city.
Long-distance shared taxis and buses arrive and depart from Sulaymaniyah Garage, located in the southwest corner of the city just outside the ring road. Drivers will be standing outside their vehicles, yelling the name of their destinations. To Erbil, avoid dangerous Kirkuk by taking a shared taxi to Koya (ID10,000), where you can hire another shared taxi to Erbil (ID5000).
Getting Around
Taxis around town are cheap and plentiful and should cost between ID2000 and ID5000 depending on time and destination. Always agree on a price and route before getting in.
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AHMADAWA
The resort village of Ahmadawa, 62km southeast of Sulaymaniyah near the Iranian border, is a wonderful place of natural beauty with plenty of opportunities for hiking, swimming and picnicking. Hidden in a deep and narrow green gorge, the resort is surrounded by walnut, pomegranate and fig trees, attracting visitors to their cool shade. A small cascading river runs along the base of the canyon. From the entrance of the gorge, hike up the 3km very rough dirt road to reach a spectacular 30m-high waterfall.
On Fridays, busloads of Kurds in colourful