Even though work, grad school, and COVID have essentially grounded me from international travel since early to mid 2020 (the last time I was on an plane was in early January 2020), I have never forgotten the joy of being able to travel locally in order to see different sites.

I will admit that despite having lived in this region for almost a decade, I have done very little travel and exploration of the area. The main reasons for this has often been because I was very busy with work and often exhausted during the weekend, and the desire to travel to other countries during holiday periods often trumped traveling locally. However, since I international travel is not something that is likely in the cards for me at least until May 2022, I decided I had put off seeing Iraqi Kurdistan long enough. It was finally time to do something that should have been done a long time ago.

From March until May, my friend and I hired a taxi driver whom we both know (the same one who took us to Hawraman) to show us some of the treasures of Iraqi Kurdistan every other weekend or so. March, April, and May were especially chosen because this is springtime in Kurdistan, and this is when the nature is at its greenest, and the weather is not too hot and uncomfortable. However, the weather is not always perfect. Frequent rain is not uncommon at this time of year, but we were very lucky during these excursions (rainfall was in very short supply this year).

Here is a list of 10 beautiful locations in Kurdistan that a visitor should definitely see when they make a visit. Please keep in mind, all of these locations are in Iraqi Kurdistan. The actual region of Kurdistan overlaps parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. In full disclosure, I have not seen the other regions of Kurdistan but definitely plan to in the future.

1) Ahmad Awa Waterfall

For those who enjoy chasing waterfalls, Iraqi Kurdistan has several that should not be missed. The first waterfall a visitor should check out is Ahmad Awa. This waterfall is located in the region of Hawraman and is in a very green valley near a small village. Because this is a popular holiday spot for people to escape the summer heat, there are many small shops and vendors that have sprung up around the area, so it is easy to buy anything you might need. Access to the waterfall is completely free, so this is a nice activity for the budget traveler. When you get to the waterfall, it is possible to stand on the rocks leading up to the waterfall, but you will want to be careful to not slip, or you will go right into the water and possibly get injured.

2) Bekhal Waterfall

The second waterfall to check out in Iraqi Kurdistan is Bekhal Waterfall, which is near Rawanduz in the Erbil Governorate. In my opinion, this is the most impressive waterfall of the ones I have had the opportunity to see in Kurdistan. I first visited this waterfall in 2015. Since that time, there is more tourist infrastructure available to a visitor. Back when I first visited, there were some basic structures built half in and half out of the waterfall, but those have now been replaced with more modern restaurants very close by. Some of the restaurants have been built essentially on the waterfall itself, so it is possible to eat outside barefoot while the water from the falls runs over.

3) Galy Ali Beg Waterfall

The third and final waterfall in this list is Galy Ali Beg, which is close to Erbil. This waterfall, while smaller than the previous two, is famous since its image is on the 5000 Iraqi dinar banknote. Unlike the previous two waterfalls, there is a very modest admission fee of 1000 Iraqi dinar (IQD), which is approximately $.68. This is an extremely low price, so there is no reason to skip this site because of cost. When I went, it was not busy, but during busier times, it is possible to rent small boats that hold two people, so it is possible to go up closer to the waterfall itself.

4) Rawanduz

Of all the places on this list, Rawanduz is my absolute favorite because of its amazing scenery. It is completely unlike what people think of when they visit the Middle East. This area is located very close to Bekhal Waterfall, so both can be seen during the same trip. The beauty of Rawanduz lies in the fact that it is surrounded by the Zagros Mountains, so there is a lot of mountainous terrain with canyons which afford spectacular views as one is driving into the town of Rawanduz.

This is an area that is beautiful regardless of the time of year, but to see the greenery on the mountains, it is best to visit between March to May. I had previously visited here back in 2015 during the dry season, and while the scenery was still impressive, it lacked the greenery and lush vegetation.

5) Hawraman

As talked about in a previous post, Hawraman is a region of Kurdistan that overlaps both northern Iraq and western Iran. Hawraman is a hilly and mountainous area that has small villages dotted throughout the landscape. As a US citizen, I have only been able to visit the Iraqi side, but I would love to have the chance to see the Iranian side in the future. If you happen to have a passport that will not cause problems or have an Iranian visa, it is definitely possible to cross into the border since a couple of the small villages are only a couple minutes away from the official border crossings. At the time I went, the border between Iraq and Iran was closed due to COVID, but that might have changed by now.

6) Darbandikhan

Darbandikhan is a town that is located on the Diyala River in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate in Iraq fairly close to Iran and bordering Diyala Province, which leads into the predominantly Arab southern part of Iraq. The town of Darbandikhan itself is rather small, but the main site to see here is Darbandikhan Dam along with the lake. In times when there has been a lot of rainfall, it is possible to see the flood gates open from down the river. However, when I visited, there had been very little rain, so the water levels in the dam were not particularly high. They did open the flood gates though when we further down, but there was not much water.

7) Sartaki Bamo

Sartaki Bamo is an area that is about 15km east of Darbandikhan, so it is very possible to see both this area and Darbandikhan Dam on the same trip. This is an area of rocky beauty since it is at the foot of a mountain called “Bamo.” Because the road winds through mountainous terrain, it is significantly cooler than the surrounding area, so this is a welcome respite from the extreme heat of summer.

The most famous site in this area is a large boulder that is nestled between two rock walls. For those who like exploring further, there are many small caves that can be checked out, but this requires climbing to get to them. While it is possible to climb up the hills to check out some of the caves relatively easily, the hills are steep and rocks can be loose. Going up is not often a problem, but coming down can be hazardous. I can speak from experience. After checking out a cave, I stepped on a loose rock going down, slid a quarter of the way down, and scraped and bloodied up my elbow pretty badly, so please be careful.

8) Qaradagh

Qaradagh is the name of a district and is also a small town that is close to the city of Sulaymaniyah (Sulaimani). A trip to Qaradagh from Sulaimani can be very easily done at any time of year. The natural beauty of the region is amazing and should definitely be seen in the springtime when everything is green. At the time I went, the greenery was starting to turn to yellow and brown, but I already have a plan to return to this area again in maybe March or April of 2022 when everything will hopefully be greener. Also, for those who are interested in history, there are a handful of ancient tombs that can be seen if you don’t mind a modest amount of hiking.

9) Shaqlawa

Shaqlawa, which is often known as the “Pride of Kurdistan,” is a medium-sized town relatively close to Erbil (Hawler), which the capital of the Kurdistan region in Iraq. The city has much greenery along with beautiful mountains. When I visited here, I unfortunately did not have much time to spend exploring. However, I had the opportunity to walk around some of the shops and saw some of the various types of food and confections that are sold. One of my goals for 2022 is to return to Shaqlawa and see more of its sites.

10) Halabja

Halabja is a large city of just under a quarter million people that is located fairly close to the Iranian border. The city is well-known in history, and especially among Kurds, for the chemical gas attack in 1988, which is known as the “Halabja Massacre.” Every year in March, there is a commemorative ceremony at the Halabja Monument. If visiting here, this is a must-see stop in order to get a sense of the history. The Halabja Monument serves also as a museum with exhibitions showing recreations of the Massacre and the actual hangman’s noose that was used on Ali Hassan al-Majid, who is commonly known as “Chemical Ali” due to his use of the chemical weapons on the Kurds.

These are certainly not all of the places to see in Iraqi Kurdistan. In fact, there are many more places. I have only covered a small number of places that can be easily reached from the city of Sulaymaniyah (Sulaimani). If visitors decide to base themselves in Erbil or Duhok, there are even more places that can be explored and checked out. One of my goals for the new year is to continue to travel around the region and check out more places since Kurdistan has a slew of treasures that are not commonly known about or visited.

Have you ever visited Kurdistan? If so, where did you visit, and what did you think of it?