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Fancy a holiday in Kurdistan region (Iraq)
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11.12.2006
By Yo Takatsuki, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan |
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December 11, 2006
Spectacular mountain scenery, thousands of years
of history and heritage, warm crisp weather for much
of the year, cheap food and even alcohol in
abundance.
If that sound like the ingredients for the ideal
holiday then maybe you should consider a holiday in
Northern Iraq.
It is little known to outsiders, but there is one
region of Iraq that is enjoying peace and stability
while the rest of the country is embroiled in
violence.
Iraqi Kurdistan has been self-ruled by the Kurds
since 1991 after the first Gulf War, and since the
fall of Saddam Hussein and his regime in 2003 the
region has prospered, having welcomed a large flow
of foreign businesses interested in securing a
foothold in Iraq while avoiding the dangers.
Now the Kurdish Regional Government is hoping to
attract international tourists as well.
Historical sites
Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan's biggest city, is lively and
hectic with new buildings springing up all over the
place.
In the middle of the city, standing high on a large
rock outcrop above the countless cranes, is the
Citadel of Erbil.
Some archaeologists believe that this dusty red fort
is the longest continually inhabited place on earth.
People have lived here for some 8,000 years.
Inside people still live and work, but there are
plans to transform the Citadel into a major tourist
attraction in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Many Iraqis are already flocking here for holidays.
"We are here to spend a few days," says Wasin from
Baghdad, while enjoying a stroll through Sami Abdul
Rahman Park, recently constructed over the site of a
former headquarter for Saddam Hussein's army. Many
Kurds were detained and tortured there.
"The city is really peaceful and beautiful. There
are no terrorists and no bombs."
"Here we have lot more freedom to walk around,"
agrees Major Neil Kettering of the US Army, enjoying
the privilege of a quiet walk in Erbil.
"In other parts of Iraq you can't do that," he says,
referring to the area surrounding his military base
in the Tigris Valley. |
Erbil - Hewler (Kurdistan region (Iraq)
Nature in Kurdistan
Sulaimaniyah city, Kurdistan region (Iraq)
Photos: eKURD.NET |
"People here don't look at us as occupiers. They
understand why we are here. Kurdistan is what we
perceived all of Iraq would be like after the fall
of Saddam Hussein."
Natural beauty
However, it is outside of Erbil where many believe
the key to Iraqi Kurdistan's success as a tourist
destination lies.
The rugged mountains that make up much of the region
have become a popular destination for Iraqis to
escape the intense summer heat in decades gone by.
The road heading towards the town of Sulaimaniyah is
a journey that passes through countless peaks and
lakes.
The locals have a saying "Kurds have no friends but
the mountains."
It is a poignant reflection of the long years the
people spent fighting Saddam's regime.
More than 180,000 Kurds are estimated to have been
killed in the 1980s during the notorious Anfal
campaign.
The former Iraqi leader is currently facing trial in
Baghdad for these atrocities on charges of genocide
and crimes against humanity.
One foreigner who thinks the scenery could be a big
draw for tourists is Peter Katzlberger of Austrian
Airlines.
"In a couple of years I can imagine big tourist
potential here," he says.
"This is a beautiful country. You can compare the
mountains to ones in Europe and there are lots of
opportunities for skiing in winter."
Austrian Airlines is the first international carrier
to start flying scheduled services into Erbil, with
two flights a week from Vienna commencing on 11
December.
"There's big business development in the region, I
think the same will happen for tourism."
Major airport
The Kurdish authorities are betting on more
international airlines to follow suit.
Next to the small airport in Erbil they are
constructing a massive new terminal and runway - one
rumoured to be long enough for even a space shuttle
to land on.
When it opens in late 2007, the hope is that it will
become an international hub like Dubai or Doha.
But, like many places in Kurdistan, the airport has
a tragic history.
"This airport has been, until 1991, a big military
base for the Iraqi air force," explains the
airport's general
director, Taher Horami.
"From here the Iraqi planes took off and destroyed
Kurdish society - 4,500 villages were destroyed by
the Iraqi army and it all started here.
"Thousands of Kurdish people have been arrested
here, tortured and even executed. It has a dark
history. We are trying to change that by leaving it
behind us."
Image change
The last time there was a bomb in Erbil was in the
summer of 2005. yet, the major challenge to get
tourists in to Iraqi Kurdistan is convincing them
that the region is safe and secure.
The man entrusted with that is Nimrud Baito, the
tourism minister in the regional government.
"That is one of our main problems because all people
thinking of Kurdistan from a security point of view
thinks [it is] the same as the rest of Iraq," he
says.
"It's very different here. Security is perfect."
Yet Mr Baito concedes that as far as he knows, not a
single foreign tourist has come to Iraqi Kurdistan
as yet.
He hopes this will change quickly.
"The big tourist companies are starting to see the
(security) situation. Maybe in 2007, over the
summer, we are expecting people to come here."
BBC
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