Kurdistan Region

Mountain Valleys and Cascading Waterfalls

The Kurdistan Region rises from dusty plains into verdant mountain valleys that most travellers never expect to find in Iraq. Amedi perches on a flat topped rocky plateau above a river gorge. Rawanduz cuts through dramatic canyon scenery. Dukan and Darbandikhan offer wide turquoise lakes ringed by hills where locals picnic and swim in summer. Gali Ali Beg waterfall tumbles into a gorge so green and lush it feels genuinely improbable.

Sulaymaniyah and the Cultural Heart of Kurdistan

Sulaymaniyah is widely regarded as the most cosmopolitan and culturally vibrant city in the region. Its bazaars are extraordinary, its cafes lively and its art scene quietly flourishing. The Sulaymaniyah Museum holds a remarkable collection of ancient artefacts including cuneiform tablets from the earliest days of writing. The city's teahouses and bookshops speak to a deep intellectual tradition that has survived extraordinary hardship.

Lalish and the Sacred Landscape of the Yazidis

Lalish is the holiest site in the Yazidi religion, a small valley in the hills northwest of Duhok where conical spired temples, sacred springs and ancient olive trees create a profoundly atmospheric pilgrimage landscape. Visitors are warmly welcomed by the resident community and asked only to remove their shoes before entering the temple grounds. It is one of the most quietly extraordinary religious sites anywhere in the world.