Welcome to one of the most amazing regions you may ever visit! Kurdistan is not an independent country (yet!), but an Iraqi semi-autonomous region located between Turkey and Iran. Here you’ll find tons of historic sites, breathtaking landscapes, scenic roads, and friendly people that’ll welcome you anywhere.
Understanding:
Kurdish people are today the largest ethnic group with no country of their own. They are currently scattered between Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Their number rises to more than 5 million people in Iraq alone, and 30-45 million in total.
During history, Kurds have been mostly subjugated by larger empires. After WW1 the long-awaited independence was expected, but the Treaty of Lausanne drew Turkey’s borders over their territory.
In 1932, Iraq gained independence from the British rule and became a monarchy. In 1958 this Hashemite monarchy was overthrown by a coup d’etat. Even after all this the Kurds were not given sovereignty with the excuse of an unstable political environment. An inevitable conflict arose between the two factions. In March 1970 an autonomy agreement was signed with Baghdad that declared autonomy for the region, after years of heavy fighting.
Later on, Saddam’s regime dictated the “arabization” of Kurds, which became known as the Anfal Campaign. This lasted until 1989, a period during which many Kurdish villages were destroyed and several thousand Kurds were killed.
The aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq brought some relief to this region. In 2005, the constitution or Iraq vowed to place the disputed northern territories under Kurdish rule until 2007. Today, Iraqi Kurdistan is a semi-autonomous region within Iraq, with their own government and infrastructure.
Geography:
Kurdistan occupies the northeastern part of Iraq, a mountainous territory much different from the arid environment we can find on central and southern Iraq.
The region is subdivided in 4 governorates, and for each we wrote an article with our selected highlights (except for Sulaymaniyah and Halabja, which are described together):
We also wrote individual articles featuring the most important cities in Kurdistan:
Basic info:
- Capital: Erbil
- Population: 5,1M (2014 estimate)
- Language: Kurdish (English moderately understood by young people)
- Religion: 97% Sunni Muslim; 2% Shia Muslim; 1% other minorities such as Yazidis and Christians
- Currency: Iraqi Dinar (IQD). As of May 2022:
- 1 USD = 1460 IQD
- 1 EUR = 1540 IQD
- Plugs:
- type C (compatible with continental Europe): the large majority
- type G (similar to the UK): very few
When to go:
The best time to visit Kurdistan is arguably Spring, from March to May, when the territory is covered in green and the mountain flowers are blooming.
Autumn is other good option for a visit. Trees would have the typical seasonal yellowish colours and the weather would be still pleasant to move around. We went in the end of November- beginning of December and the temperature was around 10ºC (50ºF) at night and 20ºC (68ºF) during daytime.
From January to February, the highlands will be covered in snow and winter sports such as skiing are available in mountain resorts.
Summer should be the worst season to visit due to the high temperatures.
Visa policy (simplified):
Citizens of all EU countries, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are given a free 30-day entry stamp on arrival into Iraqi Kurdistan. The process is usually hassle-free and costs 71€ / 75$.
If you are visiting Kurdistan after central and southern Iraq, your Iraqi visa will also cover your time in Kurdistan. Please note that an Iraqi Kurdistan visa does not entitle you to visit federal Iraq.
Money:
As of December 2021, Revolut did not work in all Iraqi territory, including Kurdistan. Foreign cards could not work in some ATMs, too. Iraq is mainly a cash society, so it’s unlikely that you’ll get to pay anything by card, except in some above-average hotels.
We took physical money (euros and dollars) and exchanged it there. US dollars are widely accepted. We used USD to pay the hotels and IQD for smaller daily expenses.
Note: traveling in Kurdistan is not as cheap as one might think. Most hotels we’ve seen on booking.com have good quality and they’ll charge accordingly. We spent around 50-60€/night (53-63$) for a double room. Meals in average restaurantes should cost around 5-10€ (5-10,5$).
SIM cards:
At Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports you can find cell phone operators’ kiosks that can provide SIM cards to visitors. We didn’t get one but the process should be relatively painless. Wi-Fi worked just fine for us, as every hotel and average restaurant had good wireless connection.
What to wear:
Kurdistan is mostly Muslim, so visitors are advised to dress modestly. Women do not need to cover their heads unless inside religious buildings. In Lalish it’s mandatory to walk without shoes on.
Safety:
The cities of Duhok, Sulaymaniyah and Erbil are quite safe, even at night. Crime is, in fact, almost unheard of in this urban areas. Usual precautions are obviously advised. Terrorism is always a concern but the truth is that in recent years Iraqi Kurdistan managed to keep away terrorist threats.
Major highways and intercity roads often have strong military presence and passport check. Peshmerga checkpoints are usually hassle-free. They take their jobs very seriously and there’s no culture of bribing.
Tipping:
A tipping culture is not prominent in Kurdistan, so it’s very unlikely to be asked for a tip here. If you really enjoyed a service, something around 5-10% of the total amount is very well accepted.
Accommodation:
Hostels are really hard to find in Kurdistan, although we’ve heard of one in Sulaymaniyah. Hotels are usually of good quality and prices reflect that – we spent around 50-60€/night (double room).