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Erbil is the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of three provinces in northern Iraq. Unlike the rest of federal Iraq, Kurdistan is a relatively safe place for travellers. Erbil is the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan and is a city in transition from a small town to a growing centre for commerce in the region. Restaurants, shops and other locations are best found in relation to key landmarks, districts or large roads. Good examples include the Citadel or landmark, Ankawa district or 60m Road. Even if you do not speak Kurdish or Arabic, drivers and hotel drivers will be able to find your destination with the help of landmarks, a map or a Google map. Erbil is about 350km north of Baghdad. It lies on a rich fertile plain between two rivers, the Greater Zab and the Lesser Zab. Erbil is a safe city with real ethnic and religious diversity. There is no tolerance for extremism locally, and the city has suffered only two real security incidents since 2007. Hotels maintain strong security protocols eg, metal detectors and bag checks. Human settlement at Erbil can be dated back to possibly 5000 BC, and it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas in the world.At the heart of the city is the ancient Citadel of Arbil. The earliest historical reference to the region dates to the Ur III dynasty of Sumer, when king Shulgi mentioned the city of Urbilum, the ancient Assyrian name of modern-day Arbil. Erbil became an integral part of the kingdom of Assyria by at least the 21st century BC through to the end of the 7th century BC, and it was known in Assyrian annals variously as Urbilim, Arbela and Arba-ilu. After this it was part of the geopolitical province of Assyria under several empires in turn, including the Median Empire, the Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenid Assyria, Macedonian Empire, Seleucid Syria, Parthian Empire or Athura, Assyria - Roman province and Sassanid Empire or Assuristan, as well as being the capital of the Neo-Assyrian state of Adiabene between the mid 2nd century BC and early 2nd century AD. Following the Arab conquest of Persia, Assyria as a geo-political entity then known as Assuristan/Athura slowly dissolved, and during medieval times the city came to be ruled by the Seljuk and Ottoman Turks. Erbil's archaeological museum houses a large collection of pre-Islamic artefacts,particularly Sumerian and Assyrian and is a centre for archaeological projects in the area. The city was designated as Arab Tourism Capital 2014 by the Arab Council of Tourism.In July 2014, Erbil Citadel was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The city has an ethnically diverse population of Kurds, the still extant Assyrians, Arabs, Armenians, Turcomans, Yezidis, Shabakis and Mandeans. It is equally religiously diverse, with believers of Sunni Islam, Sufi Islam, Shia Islam, Christianity mainly followed by Assyrians and Armenians, Yezidism, Yarsan, Shabakism and Mandeanism extant in and around Erbil. The modern town of Erbil stands on a tell topped by an Ottoman fort. During the Middle Ages, Erbil became a major trading centre on the route between Baghdad and Mosul, a role which it still plays today with important road links to the outside world. Today, Erbil is both multi-ethnic and multi-religious, with the Kurds forming the largest ethnic group in the city, with smaller numbers of Arabs, Assyrians, Turcoman, Armenians, Yazidis, Shabaks, Circassians, Kawliya, Iranians and Mandeans also extant. The parliament of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region was established in Erbil in 1970 after negotiations between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Mustafa Barzani, but was effectively controlled by Saddam Hussein until the Kurdish uprising at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. The legislature ceased to function effectively in the mid-1990s when fighting broke out between the two main Kurdish factions, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The city was captured by the KDP in 1996 with the assistance of the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. The PUK then established an alternative Kurdish government in Sulaimaniyah. KDP claimed that on March 1996 PUK asked for Iran's help to fight KDP. Considering this as a foreign attack on Iraq's soil, the KDP asked the Iraqi government for help. The Kurdish Parliament in Erbil reconvened after a peace agreement was signed between the Kurdish parties in 1997, but had no real power. The Kurdish government in Erbil had control only in the western and northern parts of the autonomous region. During the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, a United States special forces task force was headquartered just outside Erbil. The city was the scene of celebrations on 10 April 2003 after the fall of the Ba'ath regime. During the US occupation of Iraq, sporadic attacks hit Erbil. Parallel bomb attacks against Eid celebrations killed 109 people on 1 February 2004.Responsibility was claimed by the Ansar al-Sunnah, and stated to be in solidarity with Ansar al-Islam. A suicide bombing on 4 May 2005 killed 60 civilians and injured 150 more outside a police recruiting centre. The Erbil International Airport opened in the city in 2005. Downtown Erbil was a project for a large-scale mixed-use complex in Erbil. The project would have been coordinated by Emaar Properties, the GCC's largest real estate developer. Emaar is well known for international big projects like Downtown Dubai and Burj Khalifa. The project was launched in 2013 and will cover an area of 541,000 square metres (5,823,276 square feet). This area will be used for residential apartments, hotels and a shopping mall. The project was cancelled in 2014 due to the civil war in Iraq. Aura Erbil is another new project with a high standard of living, which is coordinated by Zardman. Erbil's climate is hot-summer Mediterranean (Csa) according to Koppen climate classification, with extremely hot summers and cool wet winters. January is the wettest month. The Citadel of Arbil is a tell or occupied mound in the historical heart of Erbil, rising between 25 and 32 metres (82 and 105 ft) from the surrounding plain. The buildings on top of the tell stretch over a roughly oval area of 430 by 340 metres (1,410 ft × 1,120 ft) occupying 102,000 square metres (1,100,000 sq ft). It has been claimed that the site is the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world. The earliest evidence for occupation of the citadel mound dates to the 5th millennium BC, and possibly earlier. It appears for the first time in historical sources during the Ur III period, and gained particular importance during the Neo-Assyrian Empire period. West of the citadel at Ary Kon quarter, a chamber tomb dating to the Neo-Assyrian Empire period has been excavated.During the Sassanian period and the Abbasid Caliphate, Erbil was an important centre for Assyrian Christianity and the Assyrians. After the Mongols captured the citadel in 1258, Erbil's importance began to decline. During the 20th century, the urban structure was significantly modified, as a result of which a number of houses and public buildings were destroyed. In 2007, the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization (HCECR) was established to oversee the restoration of the citadel. In the same year, all inhabitants, except one family, were evicted from the citadel as part of a large restoration project. Since then, archaeological research and restoration works have been carried out at and around the tell by various international teams and in co-operation with local specialists, and many areas remain off-limits to visitors due to the danger of unstable walls and infrastructure. The government plans to have 50 families live in the citadel once it is renovated. The only religious structure that currently survives in the citadel is the Mulla Afandi Mosque. When it was fully occupied, the citadel was divided in three districts or mahallas: from east to west the Serai, the Takya and the Topkhana. The Serai was occupied by notable families; the Takya district was named after the homes of dervishes, which are called takyas; and the Topkhana district housed craftsmen and farmers. Other sights to visit in the citadel include the bathing rooms or hammam built in 1775 located near the mosque and the Textile Museum.Erbil citadel has been inscribed on the World Heritage List on 21 June 2014 . - The covered Erbil Qaysari Bazaars, lying below the main entrance to the citadel and stocking mainly household goods and tools. - The 36-metre-high (118-foot) Mudhafaria Minaret, situated in Minaret Park several blocks from the citadel, dates back to the late 12th century AD and the Governor of Erbil, in the reign of Saladin, Muzaffar Al-Din Abu Sa’eed Al-Kawkaboori or Gokbori, who had entered in the obedience of Salahuddin without war and married his sister. It has an octagonal base decorated with two tiers of niches, which is separated from the main shaft by a small balcony, also decorated. Another historical minaret with turquoise glazed tiles is nearby. - Sami Rahman Park - Franso Hariri Stadium - The Mound of Qalich Agha lies within the grounds of the Museum of Civilization, 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the citadel. An excavation in 1996 found tools from the Halaf, Ubaid and Uruk periods.[7] - Kurdish Textile Museum The local major football team is Erbil SC which plays its football matches at Franso Hariri Stadium named after the assassinated Assyrian politician Franso Hariri which is based in the south part of central Erbil. Erbil SC were the first Kurdish team to make it to the AFC Champions league. Erbil has the following media outfits: - Babylon FM - Ishtar TV - Kanal4 - Kurdistan TV -Kurdmax Pepule - Kurdistan 24 - Rudaw Media Network Erbil is compesed of the following Districts: - Komari Where the stadium and Hawler Plaza Hotel are located - Ankawa Originally the Christian suburb to the north of the city, Ankawa now houses a diverse set of professionals from around Arbil, while maintaining its Christian history. - Citadel A 32m high mound with a continuously-occupied 7,000 year old settlement, believed to be the oldest continuously occupied human settlement in the world. The Citadel area also includes the city's souk, where you can buy both basic souvenirs as well as more modern items such as cell phones, etc. Visa-free entry or visa on arrival valid for 15 days is possible for most Westerners, many Middle Easterners and some other countries. All foreign tourists will find a warm welcome from locals. Northern Iraq is served by Erbil International Airport with a growing number of international airlines serving Erbil. Erbil International Airport is one of Iraq's busiest airports and is near the city. Services includes direct flights to many domestic destinations as well as flights to international destinations in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. - Austrian Airlines launched flights between Vienna and Arbil (Erbil) (Irbil) twice weekly in December 2006. Austrian is operating four flights a week to/from Vienna. - Egypt Air flies 4 times per week from Cairo to Erbil, and 3 times per week from Erbil to Cairo. - Lufthansa has four weekly round trip flights from Frankfurt. - Royal Jordanian has regular flights from Amman. - Qatar Airways flies 4 times a week between Erbil and Doha. - MEA flies to Erbil from Lebanon on 6 flights per week. - AtlasJet ,Turkish Airlines, and Pegasus have flights to Istanbul. - FlyDubai has flights from Dubai. - Turkish Airlines has flights to Istanbul and on to the rest of the world. - Pegasus Air has low-cost flights with connection in Istanbul. - Mahan Air has flights from Tehran, established in 2012. - Etihad Airlines flies from Erbil to Abu Dhabi with connecting flights onwards. - Air Arabia also has flights from (Sharjah and Amman) to Erbil - Germania Airlines flies from Erbil and Sulaymaniyah to Dusseldorf, Munich and Stockholm Citizens of the EU, the US, Canada, Japan and Australia are given a free stamp of 15 days on arrival. After that you must visit the residency office to extend your stay. Most other nationalities must obtain a visa, or they may seek a letter of invitation from the KRG Department of Foreign Relations to facilitate a visa into the Kurdistan Region. There are bus companies running services connecting Erbil to Dyiarbakir in Turkey (10-15 hours) and Istanbul (36-48h): Cizre Nuh Buses run everyday at 15.30 from the new Bus Station 5 minutes walk away from Family Mall to Istanbul (USD80) via Silopi (USD40) Diyabakir and other Cities inbetween. Tickets can be bought from the many bus company offices at Family Mall. Can Diyarbakir Buses leave daily from Family Mall on 100m Road to Istanbul via Ankara, Diyarbakır and other cities inbetween. There are at least two other Turkish companies running buses from Erbil to cities ın Turkey - look around for flyers on Iskan Road. Best Van: Running from Ainkawa Road in Erbil to Istanbul via Adana, Aksaray, Ankara (14:00) and Diyabakir (16:00, via Hasankeyf, Batman). Bus from Diyabakir to Erbil leaves at 11:00. Federal Company: Daily service from Erbil to Istanbul, at 14:00. Charged $80 in late 2012 (the same as other bus lines, at the time), but claimed to be using VIP buses. Friendly service and location near citadel. Erbil - Istanbul takes around 36 hours but exact arrival time depends on border formalities - around 2 hours from Turkey to Iraq and 5-8 hours back to Turkey. Going from Iraq to Turkey at night, border formalities take around 2 hours. Public transport is available in the form of taxis and some bus routes. Private drivers are also available from many three- and four-star hotels and can help show you around the area. In terms of taxis there are essentially two choices: HawlerTaxiTM, HawlerTaxi is the easiest and only way to request a clean, reliable and comfortable ride in Erbil. Just request a Taxi with the tap of a button, and get picked up by a nearby friendly driver who’ll take you to your destination right away. Plus you pay cash and soon you will be able to pay by credit card. HawlerTaxi drivers are professionally trained and their cabs have gone through strict quality checks. Passengers rate drivers and only the highest-rated drivers are allowed on the road. Enjoy a welcoming, affordable, and memorable ride today. Hello Taxi,, which is Erbil's branded taxi company and has English speaking drivers, but at highly inflated rates. US dollars are accepted. From the airport to central Erbil the rate is USD50, to Ankawa USD20. Street Taxis, which are generic independent taxis and will take you most places in Erbil and Ankawa. Rates are negotiable, however, for a drive across town 15-25 minutes. PNK Taxi, A subsidiary of BWFW Services company. PNK Taxi is By Women For Women. The Erbil Citadel sits in the middle of Erbil City and is, as of 2014, a UNESCO World Heritage site. At 7000+ years old, the Citadel is one of the oldest continuously occupied human settlements. The citadel has seen the reign of many historic civilizations including Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians. Other ancient powers including the Achaemenian, Seljuks, and Sassanians also dominated the Citadel before being finally conquered by the Muslims. This longevity was made possible by the existence of abundant ground water, which has sustained the population throughout its long history. The Citadel is a round structure, 28-32m high which dominates the old city and has been built upon seven layers of civilization. The mound itself is not natural but has been formed by successive layers of settlements: Assyrian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Persian and Greek. The total area of the Citadel is 110,000m². The Citadel of Erbil consists of three main quarters: Topkhana, Saray and Taki, with a total of 605 houses in the area. The UNESCO Revitalization Project of the Erbil Citadel - Visitors can still access the site on foot and walk around the mound. Key attractions include the historic architecture, views of the city and the Kurdish Textile Museum. Kurdish Textile Museum is on the Citadel. Entry is free. The Museum is open every day 09:00-17:30 from October to April and 09:00-19:00 from May to September. During the summer, the Museum is also closed on Fridays. The Museum's director often wanders around chatting with visitors and shares stories about the artefacts and current activities of the Museum. Great items on display include antique Kurdish rugs, ornate carrying sacks used by nomads in the region and pieces from Iran. You may also meet contemporary weavers at the Museum, which is the site for a US Embassy-funded initiative to revive Kurdish textile skills and support local female artisans. The gift shop is one of the best spots in town for classy souvenirs; you can purchase traditional hats, jewellery, rugs made by the local Kurdish weavers and traditional Persian carpets brought across the border from Iran. Syriac Heritage Museum is better known as the Ankawa Museum. Entry is free. The Museum focuses on the Christian Syriac heritage of northern Iraq. The first floor includes examples of traditional attire in different villages around the region and farming tools from the first half of the 20th century. The second floor has a small, but exciting display of Syriac Christian books from the 1700s-1900s, including several New Testaments and one illuminated text. The display on the second floor also includes examples of early legal documents from the 1900s and a display on journalism in the region. The explanatory text is limited, but helpful, and available in both English and Kurdish. Erbil Civilization Museum sits on Municipality Street, across the street from City Hall. The Museum is open from Sunday to Thursday 09:00-14:00. The Museum has three halls, one is for prehistoric and stone-age archaeological pieces, the second is for Assyrian Era pieces, and the third is for Islamic Era pieces. All of the artifacts are from the Kurdistan Region. The Mound of Qalich Agha lies within the grounds of the Museum of Civilization, 1km (0.62 mi) from the citadel. An excavation in 1996 found tools from the Halaf, Ubaid and Uruk periods. Sami Abdul Rahman Park is the largest park in the Kurdistan Region. The park and all the other gardens and parks in Erbil are accessed for free. Sami Abdul Rahman Park is contains a lot of children games and restaurants, in addition to the Erbil International Fair Ground, Zaytun Public Library, theaters, a number of statues and monuments, a summer movie theater, and two artificial lakes. Minaret Park The 36m high Mudhafaria Minaret, situated in Minaret Park several blocks from the citadel, dates back to the late 12th century AD and the reign of king Muzaffar Al-Din Abu Sa’eed Al-Kawkaboori. It has an octagonal base decorated with two tiers of niches, which is separated from the main shaft by a small balcony, also decorated. Another historical minaret with turquoise glazed tiles is nearby. Shanidar Park Near the minaret park is on the other side of the street, this is a public park connected with the Minaret park via cable car. Volunteer talking to English students at the ALSON language & computer centre near the Sheraton Hotel. To communicate with the students, go on a picnic and give students contact with English speakers. Also, Kurdish language lessons available. Visitors to Arbil have the option of shopping at small speciality stores, antique shops, malls and a souk offering both classic and contemporary goods. Few stores or malls have formal addresses, but many are known by local drivers. Most stores will accept US Dollars or Iraqi Dinar. Erbil's souk is located next to the Citadel. Also known as the Qaysari Market or Bazaar, it dates from the Ottoman period. As with most contemporary cities in the Middle East, you can find lunch, socks, cellphones, carpets, antiques and fresh produce throughout the market. To get to the souk, you should direct your taxi or driver to the souk near the citadel. Antiq Qala is an antique shop located near the Citadel on Arrass Street. Selection includes antique silver jewelry, daggers, armour, instruments for navigation, books, carpets, embroidered cushions, lamps, furniture, coins, gaming sets and other items from across Iraq. The store also includes antiques from Pakistan, Britain, Egypt and Kurdistan's Jewish community. The store's owner, Khalis Younis, is very knowledgeable and will gladly explain items of interest in fluent English, Arabic or Kurdish. The store is well-located near the Citadel and Souk, but may be hard to find. You can call the store and you will be directed. Gift Shop at the Kurdish Textile Museum is located on the Citadel. The gift shop is one of the best spots in town for classy souvenirs; you can purchase traditional hats, jewellery, rugs made by the local Kurdish weavers and traditional Persian carpets brought across the border from Iran. Family Mall is located on 100m road, and includes prominent international brands like Blackberry, GEOX, Samsonite, Merrell, DKNY, Armani, Levi's and Mango. You'll find that the styles and sizes differ from offerings in US/UK/Asia store locations, though similar items may be available. Family Mall also includes a Carrefour market and a large cinema with first-run films from the US. The mall is open seven days per week, and closes at 22:00 or 23:00 depending on the day. Majidi Mall, is located on Kasnazan road and includes dozens of international and local stores, including Adidas, Nike, United Colors of Benetton, Ermenegildo Zegna, Ecco and Movenpick. Majidi Mall includes a cinema and is open seven days per week. Other indoor shopping centres include Hawler Mall on Shaqlawa road, NewCity supermarket on 60th road, Reihnmall in the Eskan neighbourhood and Shopping Centre Nishtman (National) Mall. Many modern restaurants exist in Erbil just none with any variety of cuisine. The choice is extensive, and the food is great and fresh especially at Fairuz Group which are currently running the Mamounia Skybar located at the 7th floor of the Noble hotel and Munch Cafe & Restaurant located at Gulan Street. . - At the Erbil International Hotel, an Asian cuisine restaurant serves curry. - Sajalreef restaurant on Kirkuk Baghdad Road. - Erza restaurant on ainkawa - Tarin restaurant on saladeen road - Piano bar restaurant - Bakery and more restaurant on shoresh street - Akito restaurant on ainkawa - Erbil Rest on Ankawa Road. - Khan al Dejaj. - Al Mahar (Sea Food)on 60th Street. - Fairuz Lebanese Restaurant Erbil 60th. - Abu Shahab restaurant on 60th street. If you like German cuisine then in the Erbil suburb of Ainkawa, you'll find a new German restaurant, which also serves draft beer, quite expensive at 11USD a pint. Also in Ainkawa you will find Happy Time restaurant which serves a version of western style foods including nice pizzas. Many sandwich shops may be found in the bazaar. Baydoner, 100 m street Family Mall find food court. Turkish Iskender dish is served, famous Turkish restaurant chain, Erbil branch. If you love great Lebanese food there is Zahle Restaurant that is located on the 60m street in the Arabella Hotel. Good food and fairly priced with a garden terrace. Deliveries and take away service available too! You can buy a wide variety of beer, wine and spirits at reasonable prices in Ainkawa, the Christian suburb of Irbil. Just look for any of the local alcohol stores. A litre of Jack Daniels for about 22 U.S.D. is cheaper than in Tennessee, USA where it is bottled. Marina. Great food! Pretty expensive. Deutscher Hof. For German draft beer and food. Hotel Layali Baghdad Hotel, In the city center, Bata. Erbil International Hotel aka Sheraton is a great place to stay, if you can afford the rates. The rate for a single room (double bed) is around $US200 including service charges. Payment is in cash only, no credit card. There are ATMs in the hotel, but it is not clear whether they allow cash withdrawals using international credit cards. International credit cards allow you to withdraw Iraqi Dinars there. The hotel has excellent food and internet service. There is a dry cleaner and laundry and several relatively good restaurants in the hotel including East Asian and Indian food. Samira Miss Hotel, Corner or Qalat and Bata streets - right next to citadel, west side of Qaysari Bazaar. Tiny but fully equipped with TV, air-con, fridge, bathroom, wi-fi, single rooms which can be negotiated down to 20,000 IQD ($18). Friendly staff, no english spoken though. Dana Hotel, In a small alley off Bata Street. Close to Samira Miss Hotel, spacious yet simple private rooms for 20,000 IQD ($18), dorm room with 4 beds for 10,000 IQD ($9) per bed - you'll be sharing the room with locals! Hotel below the main gate to the Citadel. One of the cheapest options in town. Beds on terrace start from 5000 dinars. Numerous other Hotels in this area or west of it - Rooms mostly between 25000 and 50000 dinars. Hotel Ali, Bata St. one street west from the main gate of the Citadel. Basic but clean, shared bathrooms, squat toilets, Sat TV. from 20000. A good place to stay is the Lonia Motel. It offers rooms wich includes a bedroom, sitting room, kitchen and bathroom at a rate of 80 USD/night. It's located at Kirkuk mainroad near the Tablo Mall. Free internet is included. Rotana, Gulan St,near the airport. This is a new modern hotel very close to the airport. Current rates are about USD450 a night. Erbil is still considered a remarkably safe city to visit. Simple security procedures are recommended, such as not overtly displaying wealth, being careful of Taxi drivers who may not speak English and may overcharge. Although an attack on Erbil by ISIS is considered unlikely, be aware that the security situation could diminish rapidly and that random attacks are still a possibility. There are numerous sources of Healthcare in Kurdistan; private hospitals, government hospitals, dentists and the like,typically care is cheaper than in countries in the Western world but quality is highly variable. Government hospitals in particular may be alarming for foreign visitors, English speaking services can be found at; Swedish Hospital, Life Support Team's Clinic, PAKY Hospital. Only government approved hospitals can provide Emergency Room (ER) / Accident & Emergency (A&E) in the event of assault if you wish to involve the Police. PAKY Hospital has government licenses to provide Police Approved medical care. Noor Dental Clinic provide high quality dental care with typical Western Standards Tourism Observer