{"id":48287,"date":"2022-10-12T11:08:32","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T11:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/?p=48287"},"modified":"2025-02-19T17:52:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T17:52:25","slug":"why-travel-to-southern-iraq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/why-travel-to-southern-iraq\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Travel to Southern Iraq?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Martyr’s Monument in Baghdad. Photo credit: Explore Mesopotamia<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Iraq<\/a> has had a tumultuous history with various conflicts and wars ravaging the country for the better part of the past 50 years. Saddam Hussein\u2019s brutal dictatorship and repression of the Kurds and the Shias. War with Iran and later the U.S. and allies. The genocidal and barbaric rule of the Islamic State. Despite this painful legacy, times are changing.<\/strong> These threats have faded<\/strong> and a new period in Iraq\u2019s history is emerging from the ashes \u2013 hopefully one that will finally give the nation and its peoples enduring peace and prosperity<\/strong>. Why travel to Iraq now? Because one can. Because the new country and its nascent tourism sector need support<\/strong>. And because the land that is now Iraq is densely packed with fascinating cultural and historical sites<\/strong> that have been completely off the beaten path for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iraq can be broadly divided into two zones of interest to travelers. The north, Kurdistan, is an autonomous region and discussed separately in our blog post Why Travel to Kurdistan<\/a>. The second region, southern Iraq<\/strong>, is the focus of this blog. We are specifically referring to the swath of territory bound by the Euphrates and the Tigris<\/strong> in between Baghdad and Basra. This area has been stable and open to travel<\/strong> for some time now, and it is home to an Arabic-speaking Shia majority that includes the Marsh Arabs<\/strong> who traditionally inhabited the wetlands of the area. The focal points of travel here are the Shia pilgrimage cities of Najaf and Karbala<\/strong>, and the ancient Mesopotamian city states of Babylon, Uruk, and Ur<\/strong>. The capital Baghdad is also a fascinating place with bustling markets<\/strong> and the country\u2019s biggest and best museum<\/strong>. Iraq\u2019s third largest city, Basra<\/strong>, is another highlight featuring canals lined with Ottoman-era architecture<\/strong> and easy access to the \u201cGarden of Eden\u201d <\/strong>near the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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