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Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Najaf, Iraq, Asia

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Najaf, Iraq, Asia

Najaf is a capital city of Najaf Governorate in Western Asian country of Iraq and is considered as one of the holy cities of Shi’a Islam. Najaf is positioned at an altitude of 60 meters and is located between 32°00′00″ N latitude and 44°20′00″ E longitude. According to 2008 Iraqi Census, Najaf had a population of 560,000 and the city is situated about 171 km south of national capital Bagdad.

Tomb of Ali ibn Abi Talib, The Imam Ali Mosque and Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery have turned Najaf as the 3^rd holiest city among the Islamic countries. Najaf houses one of the most significant teaching centres of Iraq named as ‘The Najaf Seminary’.

History of Najaf:

It is believed that, Najaf was formed by Abbasid Caliph Harun ar-Rashid in 791. Before British conquered Najaf in 1915, it was under the rule of Ottoman Empire and the city suffered from lot of bomb blasts during 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Culture, Cuisine and Shopping in Najaf:

Najaf is a city with full of world famous mosques and historical monuments. Other than mosques, Najaf houses several eminent cultural centres of dance and music. Najaf is home to more than 95% of Muslim population along with fewer percentage of Christian and other communities.

Food at Najaf is similar compared to other regions of Iraq. Non vegetarian items are the most favorite of Muslim citizens of Najaf and they also have interest in vegetarian soups like Fasoulia, Fesenjan and Ghormeh sabzi. One can easily find hotels from the different regions of the world all around the Najaf City.

Najaf is packed with abundance of shopping malls and restaurants. Due to the great demand created for handicraft products by the foreign tourists, there are plenty of handicraft shops in the city with variety of handicraft products to fulfill the requirement of local and foreign tourists.

Connectivity to Najaf:

Najaf is served by Najaf International Airport situated 7 kms away from the centre of the city. There are taxis and buses widely available to reach airport and tourist spots at Najaf City. Najaf has well maintained road infrastructure all over the city and to local travel, taxis and buses are best.

Tourist attractions in Najaf:

Tomb of Ali ibn Abi Talib:

Ali ibn Abi Talib Tomb also called as Imama Ali Tomb is a prime attraction of Najaf located in Najaf City centre. It is visited by most numbers of Shia Muslims from the major Arab countries like Kuwait, Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and is considered as third most sacred place of Shi’a Islam.

Imam Ali Mosque:

The Imam Ali Mosque is a majestic construction with a gold covered dome and many expensive objects in the walls. The Mosque is surrounded by Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery, several hospitals, schools, libraries and Sufi convents. It is believed that, the Iranian ruler the Daylamite Fannakhosraw Azod ad Dowleh constructed this Mosque in 977.

The Najaf Seminary:

The Najaf Seminary is one of the major educational institutions located in the city of Najaf and is also a major landmark of Najaf City.

The list of other tourist attractions near Najaf is as follows:

Baghdad Zoo
Baghdad Tower
Geli Eli Beg Waterfall
Seleucia
Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Lake Habbaniyah

Ideal time to visit Najaf:

Between October and April is the best time to visit Najaf, when the grand cultural programs are held in two important mosques of Najaf.

Accommodation options near Najaf:

The hotels of Najaf are very much famous for their variety of mouthwatering dish and a special type of service. Prominent hotels near Najaf are:

Ribal Hotel
The White Palace Hotel
Coral Boutique Hotel
AlMasbah Plaza Hotel
Baghdad Hotel
Palestine Hotel
Al Rasheed Hotel
Al Mansour Milia Hotel
Almas Hotel
Hotel Sadeer Novotel
Ishtar Hotel

Tourist Places to Visit in Mosul, Iraq

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Mosul, Iraq

Mosul is one of the major cities of Iraq and the capital city of Nineveh Province. It is the third biggest city after Bagdad and Basra in the country and is situated about 405 km northwest of national capital Bagdad. Mosul City is placed on the banks of River Tigris at the coordinates of 36.34° N 43.13° E. The people of Mosul are generally called as Maslawis.

Mosul is very much famous in the productions of Mosul marble and the fabric Muslin. Iraq’s one of the leading educational institute ‘University of Mosul’ is placed in the heart of Mosul City and the important sport centres of Mosul include Mosul Stadium and Al Mosul University Stadium.

Culture in Mosul:

Mosul is populated with higher majority of Arab tribes like Assyrians, Turcoman and Kurdish minorities followed by Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Turkmens and Assyrian Christians. The languages spoken by the natives of Mosul include Aleppan Arabic, Levantine Arabic and Iraqi Arabic.

Compared to other regions of Iraq, Christians are highly residing in Mosul and the city houses several churches namely ancient Tahira Church and Mar Hudeni Church. The natives of Mosul have good hand in producing handicraft products of metalwork and variety of clothes.

Connectivity to Mosul:

Mosul is one of the commercial and cultural centres of Iraq and has a good connectivity with all the major cities of the country like Basra, Bagdad, Karbala, Kirkuk and Erbil. Mosul Airport is situated about 9 kms from the midpoint of Mosul City. Buses are accessible at Mosul City Bus Stand and other local terminals at regular intervals. One can hire Taxi to visit tourist destinations and to reach nearby cities.

Tourist Attractions in Mosul:

Mosul Museum:

Mosul Museum is a beautifully constructed museum situated in the centre of Mosul City. The entrance floor of the museum is designed with full of striking Mosul Marble and the museum has a large collection of ancient coins and photographs.

The Great (Nuriddin) Mosque:

The Great (Nuriddin) Mosque was constructed in 1172 AD by Nuriddin Zangi, located in the vicinity of famous Umayyad Mosque. This mosque is very much famous for its outer structure.

Church of St. Thomas:

Church of St. Thomas is a historical church named in the memory of St. Thomas. It is believed that, this church was constructed in 770 AD.

St. George’s Monastery:

St. George’s Monastery is one of the ancient churches situated to the north of Mosul City. It was constructed during the end of 17^th century and named in the remembrance of St. George.

Mar Petion Church:

Mar Petion Church is considered as the first Chaldean Catholic church of Mosul. It was reconstructed several times due to the destruction.

Mar Hudeni Church:

Mar Hudeni Church was built during 10^th century named in the memory of Mar Ahudemmeh Maphrian of Tikrit.

Mosul Stadium:

Mosul Stadium is the major stadium of Mosul currently used for football matches located in Mosul. The stadium has a seating capacity of 10,000 people.

The list of other tourist attractions near Mosul is as follows:

Mashad Yahya Abul Kassem
Bash Tapia Castle
Qara Serai
Mosque of the Prophet Yunus
Shamoun Al-Safa
Monastery of Mar Behnam
Mar Matte

Ideal time to visit Mosul:

January, December and July are the ideal months to visit Erbil.

Accommodation options near Mosul:

The best hotels in and around Mosul are:

Ninavah International Hotel
Ar Rafidiaain Hotel
Ashur Hotel
Atlas Hotel
Rafidain Hotel
Divan Erbil Hotel
Noble Hotel
Van Royal Hotel
Jabar Palace Hotel
DMDM Hotel
Mondeal Hotel
Altin Saray Erbil Hotel

Tourist Places to Visit in Karbala, Iraq, Asia

Tourist Places to Visit in Karbala, Iraq, Asia

Karbala is considered as one of the cities in Iraq located between 32°37′ N latitude and 44°02′ E longitude. It is the capital city of Karbala Governorate situated about 107 km southwest of Bagdad City. After Mecca and Medina, Karbala is a major holy place of Shia Muslims. According to 2003 Iraqi Census, Karbala had a population of 572,300.

Karbala is well known for the Karbala Battle happened in 680 and is very much famous for one of the sacred place of Iraq ‘Imam Husayn Shrine’. Karbala City is divided into two divisions Old Karbala and New Karbala and the whole city houses more than 100 mosques and 23 religious schools. Karbala has a hot desert climate.

History of Karbala:

Karbala has several argues about its name origin. One source claim that Karbala derives its name from Aramaic language word Karb or Qarb means ‘God’. Another source argues that the name Karbala came from Arabic word Karbalah means “soft earth”.

Cuisine, Culture of Karbala:

Karbala is a heaven of worship places and the famous holy places of Karbala include Al Abbas Mosque, Hadrat Abbas Shrine and Imam Husayn Shrine. Other than mosques Karbala is home to cultural centre of dance and music and Karbala Football Club. Karbala is populated with more than 95% of Muslims, followed by Christians and other communities.

The natives of Karbala use olive oil and pine nuts to cook their food and also the locals have great interest in non vegetarian food items than vegetarian food items. The popular dish of Karbala includes Dolma, Kibbeh, Kofta, Pastırma, Sujuk, Khichdi, Mujaddara, Quzi and Shawarma.

How to reach Karbala?

Karbala is a holy place of Iraq houses plenty of mosques all around the city and is visited by most numbers of pilgrims and tourists from all over the globe. Due to this reason, there are ample numbers of buses frequently running between Karbala and other main cities Iraq to provide healthy transport facility to the tourists.

Karbala is served by Karbala Northeast Airport located about 54 kms from the heart of the city.

Places to see in Karbala:

Imam Husayn Shrine:

Imam Husayn Shrine is one of the ancient mosques in the world located in Karbala City. It is visited by millions of pilgrims annually for its holiness and historical importance and is located in the vicinity of Al Abbas Mosque. There are two ways to reach Imam Husayn Shrine from Bagdad City and Najaf City.

Al Abbas Mosque:

Al Abbas Mosque also termed as Masjid Al Abbas is located near Imam Husayn Mosque in Karbala. This holy place is very much famous among the surrounding regions of Karbala.

Hadrat Abbas Shrine:

Hadrat Abbas Shrine is a historical monument situated in the vicinity of Imam Hussain Shrine in Karbala City. It is visited by plenty of Shia Muslims in the month of Muharram every year.

The list of other tourist attractions near Karbala is as follows:

Ahlulbait University College
Karbala
Al Abbas Mosque
Great Mosque of Samarra
Baghdad Tower
Geli Eli Beg Waterfall
Seleucia
Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Best time to visit Karbala:

Winter season is the ideal time to visit Karbala, while the weather remains in favor of the tourists.

Accommodation Options in Karbala:

The major hotels in and around Karbala are as follows:

Hotel Alsaffar
Burj Al Forat Hotel
Nahher Al Janah Hotel
Almanasik International Hotel
Bab Alhwaej Hotel
Burj Al Zahra Hotel
Sama Hotel
Al Mansour Hotel
Hotel Al-Rasheed
Babylon Hotel
Badia Cham Palace

Places to Visit in Kirkuk, Iraq, Asia

Places to Visit in Kirkuk, Iraq, Asia

Kirkuk also written as Karkuk or Kerkuk is a city located in Northern Iraq, the capital of Kirkuk Governorate situated about 235 kms north of national capital Bagdad. In 2010, the ministry of culture of Iraq named Kirkuk as ‘the cultural capital of Iraq’.

Kirkuk Governorate is surrounded by Arbil Governorate in the north, Sulaymaniyah Governorate to the east and Salah ad Din Governorate towards southwest. Kirkuk City is placed between 35°28′0″ N latitude and 44°19′0″ E longitude and features a hot semi-arid climate. The important landmarks of Kirkuk include Kirkuk Citadel, Tomb of Daniel and Qishla of Kirkuk.

History of Kirkuk:

The literal meaning of Kirkuk in Aramaic and Syriac language is “Beth Garmai” means “place of bones”. Neo-Assyrian Empire ruled Kirkuk for very long time and Kirkuk also witnessed the rule of Babylonia and Media.

Culture and Cuisine in Kirkuk:

The population of Kirkuk comprises of Arabs, Assyrians, Iraqi Turkmens and Kurds. Tikriti are residing higher in majority than Hadidi in Kirkuk. The famous archeological sites of Kirkuk are Qal’at Jarmo and Yorgan Tepe and most of the Kirkuk archeological sites were destroyed during World War I.

Kirkuk is rich in its food culture famous for non vegetarian dish among the other regions of the country. The famous non vegetarian dish of Kirkuk includes Pastırma, Sujuk, Biryani, Sabich and Shawarma. Also the city houses several eminent restaurants from the different regions of the surrounding Arab countries.

Connectivity to Kirkuk:

Kirkuk has got good connectivity with its surrounding regions and the major cities of the country through road and air mode of transport. Erbil International Airport is the nearest airport to Kirkuk. Kirkuk is at the distance of 83 kms from Arbil, 150 kms from Mosul, 115 kms from Tirkit and 97 km from Sulaymaniyah. Also there are regular buses accessible at Kirkuk City to reach Bagdad, Basra and Erbil, to travel within the city taxi is the best option.

Tourist Attractions in Kirkuk:

The Kirkuk Citadel:

The Kirkuk Citadel is situated in the heart of Kirkuk City. It is said that, the citadel was constructed between 884 and 858 BCE by King Ashurnasirpal II.

The Qishla of Kirkuk:

The Qishla of Kirkuk is a historical monument located in Kirkuk. It is believed that, Qishla was constructed in the year 1863. This building is spread over an area of about 6 acres situated in the heart of Kirkuk City.

Citadel of Erbil:

Citadel of Erbil is a historical mound located in Erbil and is placed about 80 kms from Kirkuk City centre. It is one of the must visit places in Iraq and the bathing rooms and a textile museum are the prime attractions of Citadel.

Other tourist attractions near Kirkuk include:

Daniel’s Tomb
Bazari Pirehmerd
Franso Hariri Stadium
Mudhafaria Minaret
Qaysari Bazaars
Assyrian Christian Church
Hewler Wall
Sami Abdulrahman Park

Ideal time to visit Kirkuk:

Between November and May is the best time to visit Kirkuk.

Accommodation Options in Kirkuk:

Hotels located near Kirkuk are well known for their upgraded class hospitality services and the facilities available in the hotels of Kirkuk include laundry, internet connectivity, doctor on call, hot water, 24 hour electricity, fridge, cable TV, garden area, vehicle parking and the food from the different regions of the world including Iran, China, India, Africa, Italy, Japan and Australia. The prominent hotels situated near Kirkuk are: