A tribute to Geoff Hann

Remembering a great adventurer.

Reflections on Iraq

There’s lots to see in the land between two rivers.

Mosques, mausoleums and madrasas: our favourite Silk Road sights

Discover our favourite sights along one of the most important trading routes in history.

When to visit Iraq

All visitors to Iraq must remember that nothing is certain, nothing is guaranteed. The arrangements are often chaotic. This is not a country for…

Health and safety in Iraq

Health Vaccinations It is advisable to be up to date with all primary immunisations including tetanus, diphtheria and polio – an all-in-one vaccine (revaxis) lasts for ten years. Vaccinations…

Step into history: the best archaeological sites in Iraq

This is a land where clay tablets, ziggurats and temple ruins shed light on life in ancient times.

The kindness of strangers: a journey across Iraqi Kurdistan

An experience of the region, not as one of danger, but of friendly, hospitable people.

Sulaymaniyah

Sulaymaniyah is a rapidly developing metropolis of around 700,000 people, but in the mid 20th century, this overwhelmingly Kurdish city and former capital of…

Baghdad

Richard Coke writes in Baghdad: The City of Peace (1927) that: ‘In Iraq all major roads lead to the capital, Baghdad, a city that…

Basra

Basra vies with Mosul as Iraq’s second city and is the principal port of Iraq. The city is penetrated by a complex network of…

Babylon

‘Babylon the great, Mother of Harlots and the abominations of the earth’, so it sayeth in the book of Revelation in the Bible. The…

The Shrine Cities – Najaf and Kerbala

Najaf Home to the Holy Shrine of Imam Ali, the fourth caliph and son-in-law of the Prophet, resplendent with its golden dome and minarets,…

Ur

Ur, together with Babylon, is probably the best-known city of Mesopotamia. It is a prime example of Iraq’s phenomenal archaeological sites. The wealth of…

Food and drink in Iraq

Iraqi cuisine has been influenced by the ancient spice routes, when spices were brought to the Middle East from India and Persia more than 3,500…

Travel and visas

Visas In common with most Arab countries, you will probably be refused a visa if your passport contains an Israeli stamp or any crossing…