{"id":48199,"date":"2022-10-12T11:08:11","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T11:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/?p=48199"},"modified":"2025-02-19T17:51:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T17:51:25","slug":"why-travel-to-kurdistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/why-travel-to-kurdistan\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Travel to Kurdistan?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Descending from the Zagros Mountains down to the hilltop town of Amedi. Photo credit: Explore Mesopotamia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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First off, what is Kurdistan?<\/strong> While the cultural homeland of the Kurds spans borders and encompasses parts of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Tukey, the Kurdistan that we are focusing on today is an autonomous region in the north of <\/strong>Iraq<\/strong><\/a>. Since the fall of Saddam Hussein they have managed their own affairs, with a Kurdish military, police force, and government all existing as separate entities from their Iraqi equivalents. This autonomy has brought Kurdistan and the diverse minorities<\/strong> living there a newfound sense of peace and stability<\/strong>, and the region seems to be poised to enter a long-awaited period of prosperity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And who are the Kurds? <\/strong>Kurds are not Arabs, nor Turks, nor Persians. They speak an Indo-European language that is a close relative of Persian, but not mutually intelligible with it. Most are Sunni Muslims. The Kurds have long been allies of the U.S., and they suffered terribly under Saddam Hussein\u2019s repressive dictatorship. Though the majority in Kurdistan, Kurds are not the only inhabitants of the region. Assyrian Christians<\/strong> speaking a dialect of Aramaic, Turkmens<\/strong>, Armenians<\/strong>, Arabs<\/strong>, and Yazidis<\/strong> (a Kurdish-speaking religious minority) also call this land home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As to why one should visit Kurdistan<\/strong>, one of the main reasons is simply that travel to Kurdistan is now possible<\/strong>. For decades the threats of war, violence, and repression kept visitors away. Times have changed, all of these threats have faded, and the region is open. Many passport holders can obtain a visa-on-arrival at the main airport in Erbil. Hotels ranging from 3-star standards to 5-star properties<\/strong> have opened up in the principal cities of Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaymaniyah. A cadre of skilled guides is developing, all of them locals passionate about their homeland<\/strong>. And there is so much to see during your visit to Kurdistan!<\/strong> Whether you are interested in bustling, exotic bazaars<\/strong>, battlefields dating to the time of Alexander the Great<\/strong>, scenic waterfalls nestled in forested, lush mountains<\/strong>, or obscure, beautiful, and peaceful monasteries and temples<\/strong> \u2013 Kurdistan has it all.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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