Charming And Surprising Places in Iraq 2022

An ancient Arab state, Iraq impresses with an abundance of unique historical monuments and archaeological areas. The territory of the modern state is one of the earliest centers of the origin of civilization in the world, today the state is distinguished by a multinational ethnic composition, which is directly reflected in its multifaceted culture. Like many hundreds of years ago, there are now many nomadic tribes living in Iraq, and beautiful modern cities are located next to the tribal territories. The earliest evidence of human presence on the territory of the modern state dates back to the Middle Paleolithic, in these places several ancient civilizations originated. It was here that ancient Babylonia, the state of Akkad and Assyria were located. Until the beginning of the 7th century, Mesopotamia was located on the site of Iraq, in 636 it was conquered by Arab troops. By the middle of the 8th century, the prosperous city of Baghdad became the center of the Arab Caliphate, the era of its heyday ended in 1258, after the invasion of the Mongols. Mesopotamia experienced a difficult and long colonial period, in 1534 it was conquered by the Turks and became part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1914, the state was conquered by British troops, despite officially gaining independence in 1932, Iraq never managed to completely get rid of British domination. Throughout the 20th century, the state was shaken one after another by revolutions and military coups, and quite tense relations still remain between political parties and groups in the country. Despite numerous political and military conflicts, Iraq has managed to preserve its rich historical heritage. The ancient Ziggurat temple is a unique historical object. It was built about 4,000 years ago, during the heyday of Mesopotamia civilization. Despite its impressive age, this ancient stone temple is perfectly preserved. For modern researchers and scientists, it still remains a mystery how the representatives of the ancient civilization managed to erect such an incredible structure from huge stones. An equally impressive historical monument is the Erbil fortress, located in the city of Kurdistan. Approximately 5,000 years old, this majestic citadel with 30-meter walls was successively owned by the Assyrians, Persians and Babylonians, and the last owners were the Turks and Arabs. The citadel, located on a hill, still impresses with its impregnable appearance, many of its elements have remained unchanged since the moment of construction. The most important archaeological area of ​​world importance is the ancient city of Babylon, the capital of the legendary Babylonian kingdom, which flourished about 3,000 years ago. The once prosperous city fell into decay in the 3rd century AD. In the course of numerous researchers, archaeologists managed to find the surviving fragments of ancient palaces, temples and buildings of religious significance. During the excavations, many valuable artifacts were found, which are now stored in the museums of Iraq. Of no less interest are the ruins of the ancient city of Hatra, located in the northern part of the state. This ancient city was the capital of the Perthian kingdom, it was a major center of trade and was of great strategic importance. Hart has preserved a significant part of the unique historical buildings for thousands of years. In recent years, the city has lost many of its sights due to military clashes. Iraq is also famous for its important religious centers, which are visited by pilgrims from all over the world. In the city of Najaf, there is a beautiful mosque of Imam Ali, many Shiite preachers were trained in this mosque. Over the hundreds of years of its existence, the mosque was repeatedly destroyed, but each time, through the efforts of local residents, it was completely restored. According to the legends, the mosque is located in a unique place where Noah and Adam were buried. The first mosque in this place was built in 977, it was erected on the burial site of the great prophet and politician Ali. Despite numerous destructions, the building managed to retain many of its original features. Today the mosque is visited not only by pilgrims from all over the world, but also by curious tourists. You can get to Iraq by plane from Istanbul, Frankfurt, Athens, Dubai and Amman. Land communication has been established with neighboring Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. These countries are interconnected by regular bus service, and travelers also have the opportunity to move between them by rented car. Abu Ghraib prison is located in the city of the same name in Iraq, it is located in the vicinity of Baghdad. The opening of this prison took place relatively recently, in 1960, it was built specifically for the detention of political criminals. The Abu Ghraib prison became known to the whole world because it hosted some of the world's largest mass executions and torture. One of the most brutal periods of incarceration began in 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq. A year later, evidence was released of mass torture that the US military used against prisoners. The prison passed under the control of the Iraqi government in 2006, in the shortest possible time all the prisoners from Abu Ghraib were transferred to other prisons in the country. The decision to close the prison by the government of Iraq.