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Erbil

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Erbil, Erbil, Iraq Shar Park, Hawler, Erbil Governorate, Iraq, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq Erbil mail square, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq One of the streets of Arab quarter in Erbil governorate, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq Street views of Erbil's city center around the citadel 05, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

About Erbil

People have lived on the great mound at the centre of Erbil for thousands of years, which makes it a strong candidate for the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth. Known in antiquity as Arbela, it saw Assyrian kings and Persian satraps, and Alexander the Great defeated Darius III at Gaugamela on the plains nearby in 331 BC.

Today Erbil is the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and its fastest-growing city. Ring roads spread outwards from the walled citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, which still crowns the skyline above the bazaar. Below it, Shar Park's fountains, the covered Qaysari market and old teahouses form the busy heart of town, while the Christian district of Ankawa in the north is known for its churches, restaurants and cafes.

Evenings are lively in the parks and on the squares, especially in spring when the surrounding plains turn green. Erbil is also the gateway to the mountains of Kurdistan, with cooler valleys and waterfalls a short drive to the north and east.

Best seasonMarch to May and October to November; summers are extremely hot
Ideal stay2-3 days
ArrivingErbil International Airport, with flights from the Gulf, Turkey and Europe

10 Places Locals Love in Erbil

History 2

Erbil Citadel, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Erbil Citadel

Rising about 30 metres above the city, this oval mound was built up by layer upon layer of settlement over thousands of years and...
Mudhafaria Minaret, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Mudhafaria Minaret

Standing alone in a park west of the citadel, this brick minaret survives from a mosque built in the late twelfth century under Mu...

Shopping 1

Qaysari Bazaar, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Qaysari Bazaar

Spreading through covered lanes at the foot of the citadel, the Qaysari is Erbil's traditional market, where traders sell spices,...

Parks 2

Shar Park, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Shar Park

This modern public square fills the space between the citadel's southern gate and the bazaar, with fountains, benches, lawns and a...
Sami Abdulrahman Park, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Sami Abdulrahman Park

West of the centre, this very large park is a favourite with families for picnics, walking and jogging, with a lake, wide lawns, r...

Landmarks 1

Jalil Khayat Mosque, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Jalil Khayat Mosque

One of the largest mosques in Erbil, this modern building in the Ottoman tradition has a great central dome, smaller cupolas and t...

Museums 2

Kurdish Textile Museum, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Kurdish Textile Museum

Inside a restored merchant's house within the citadel, this museum displays rugs, kilims, saddle bags, felt and woven clothing mad...
Erbil Civilization Museum, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Erbil Civilization Museum

This archaeological museum presents finds from the Erbil plain across many periods, from prehistoric tools and pottery to Assyrian...

Food and Drink 1

Machko Chaikhana

Set in the arcades at the foot of the citadel facing Shar Park, this long-established teahouse is a gathering place for writers, p...

Neighborhoods 1

Ankawa, Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Ankawa

In the north of the city near the airport, Ankawa is a largely Christian district of Chaldean and Assyrian communities, with sever...

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Photo credits

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ask Gudmundsen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Esmail Saxistani, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Khoshhat, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: MSinjari, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: jan kurdistani, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Myararat83, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Vladimir Lysenko (I.), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vladimir Lysenko (I.), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Vladimir Lysenko (I.), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Lamacchiacosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Sarchia Khursheed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: الدبوني, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Giorgio Montersino, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Lamacchiacosta, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Sarchia Khursheed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kushared (Mohammed Sardar), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Sarchia Khursheed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kurdistantolive, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Sarbast.T.Hameed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Ara Qadir, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Ano Abdoka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Levi Clancy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0