Also nicknamed Slimani, Suli, or Suleiman, this town was founded in 1784 by a Kurdish prince who named it after his father, Suleiman Pasha. It has since been the birthplace of numerous notorious people connected with human sciences and arts, hence the title of cultural capital of Kurdistan.
After the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the UN aided in the humanitarian relief and development efforts in this area also due to the Anfal campaign of Saddam Hussein. This, together with cross-border smuggling, dampened the effect of international sanctions when compared to the rest of the country. After the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, sanctions were fully withdrawn and the area witnessed a construction and population boom which still lasts today.
The city’s filled with museums that take us back both to its past glory but also to the terrors of Hussein’s infamous regime. The city centre is relatively new but very much alive, and its gardens are crowded with busts of well-known Kurdish artists.
We chose the Khan Saray Hotel, a very central 4-star hotel which we highly recommend, for our stay here. The price includes a very decent breakfast and a parking spot on the underground garage, which is very useful if you’re using a rental car. As of today, they’re not accepting reservations through booking.com but it’s possible to reach them directly on their page (hyperlink above). Our top choices on a visit to Sulaymaniyah are as follows:
1.1. Slemani Museum
This is the second biggest museum in Iraq, only after the National Museum in Baghdad. It houses artefacts from the early Prehistoric Period to the more recent Ottoman and Islamic periods. Two new galleries opened to public in 2019 and 2021, dedicated to the Sassanian King Narseh. One of them includes many inscribed stone blocks from a monument dedicated to him, while the other displays for the first time four high-relief busts of the king. These busts were part of Paikuli Tower, formerly located near the city of Sulaymaniyah.
- Entrance fee: free
- Expected duration of visit: 2h
1.2. Amna Suraka
Located a few blocks away from the Sulaymaniyah Museum, Amna Suraka once served as headquarters for the Iraqi Interior Ministry’s intelligence agency. Many people were arrested and imprisoned here during Saddam’s regime, namely students and Kurdish nationalists. Many eventually died.
The outside area features some tanks used by the Baathist regime against the Kurds. The “Hall of Mirrors” is the first room of the museum and displays 182000 mirror fragments and 4500 small LED bulbs. These represent the number of Kurds killed and Kurdish villages destroyed by Hussein, respectively. In other rooms, manequins try to represent how people were tortured in this prison.
A recent gallery is dedicated to the ISIS/Daesh presence in Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Entrance fee: free
- Expected duration of visit: 2h30
1.3. Bazaar
The central area of the city hosts the bazaar, which comes to life by the middle of the afternoon and goes on as the sun sets. Street food is a must-try here (many typical dishes to choose from).
1.4. The Great Mosque
Doesn’t come close to the grandeur of the recent Jalal Khalil mosque in Erbil, but its location in the bazaar district makes it difficult to miss in a visit.
1.5. Azmar Mountain
We didn’t go here but it’s a local’s favourite for picnics on weekends. This mountain faces Sulaymaniyah from the north and should offer excellent views over the city.
And that closes it for our top picks in the city of Sulaymaniyah! Any queries or comments? Feel free to use the comment section below!