This is the capital and most populated city of the governorate of Duhok. It is located in a valley, flanked by nearby mountains on its north and south limits. We used the city as a base to visit other places within the governorate. Although it doesn’t offer as many things to see as Erbil ou Sulaymaniyah, it has a cool small city vibe to it, and we would highlight these landmarks:
1. Duhok Dam and waterfalls
The Duhok Dam is placed in a strategic point, north of the city. This is a favourite spot among locals for a weekend picnic. It is also a good place to see the city lights at night from an advantage point. We may find waterfalls pouring down from the mountains nearby. However, these are artificial and may be shut down sometimes, so we may not see them as we drive up to the dam.
- Expected duration of visit: 1 hour
2. Azadi Park
Azadi Park is located south of the city centre and features some cool statues and gardens. It’s placed at a higher altitude in comparison with the central area of Duhok, and as such it also provides fairly good views of the city. Nearby, we may find the city’s museum (it was closed when we tried to visit) and Shahedan mosque.
- Expected duration of visit: 1 hour
- More activities are available during Summer. Expect to spend some more time here if so.
3. The Bazaar
Middle Eastern markets are crowded, loud and vibrant; Duhok’s Bazaar is no less. But here we don’t get the harassment we’re targeted with in other tourist destinations. Everything feels more natural, as no-one is expecting tourists to be there. The busiest time and best to visit, in our opinion, is from 4-6pm. Every once in a while you’ll notice fruit stands: usually their natural juices and sweets do not disappoint.
4. The Peshmerga Cafe
Located very close to the bazaar, the Peshmerga Cafe looks just like any other cafe on the outside but in fact it’s a really different place. It pays homage to the Peshmerga soldiers who died fighting ISIS, and its walls are covered with portraits of the martyrs. The columns and shelfs also show items that belonged to the deceased soldiers.
The Peshmerga are the de facto army of Iraqi Kurdistan and their name literally translates as “those who face death”. Notably, Kurdish women are also allowed to fight in their army, which is something you might not expect in Middle East.
The owner doesn’t speak English but he does love to have tourists visiting his cafe. If you’re lucky, other costumer may translate his stories about some of the people in the portraits to you. This was definitely a place which came to us as a surprise, and in our opinion is a must visit in Duhok.
5. Zawa Mountain
The mountains south of Duhok arguably offer the best views over the city, and they are easily accessible by car. From the north slope of Zawa Mountain we’ll see the city, and from the opposite side we may find the enlarged Tigris river bed just upstream of Mosul Dam, some 25km away. There are even small roadside shops selling coffee and tea to visitors wishing to stay for longer. Our personal advice would be to visit 1-2h before sunset to let the golden tones splash the city and the mountains up north.
The Halamata caves are another nearby highlight. These caves feature bas-relief rock sculptures from the Assyrian times. We tried to find the place on the mountain but the Google Maps location was not accurate and it was getting too dark to continue exploring… Hopefully you’ll get luckier than we did!
- Expected duration of visit: 2h
And that’s a wrap for our highlights of Duhok! Any questions? Feel free to comment below and we’ll answer as soon as we can!