Tourism in Iraq
Tourism in Iraq refers to tourism in the
World Heritage Sites
Site | Image | Location | Criteria | Area | Year | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) | Saladin Governorate35°27′32″N 43°15′35″E / 35.45889°N 43.25972°E | Cultural: (iii)(iv) |
70 (170) | 2003 | Located on the Tigris and dating from the 3rd millennium BCE, Ashur was the first capital of the Assyrian Empire and the religious centre of the Assyrians. Following its destruction by the Babylonians, the city was briefly revived during the Parthian period.[3] | |
Erbil Citadel
|
Erbil Governorate36°11′28″N 44°00′33″E / 36.19111°N 44.00917°E | Cultural: (iv) |
16 (40) | 2014 | Situated on the top of a tell in Iraqi Kurdistan and overlooking the city of Erbil, the Erbil Citadel constitutes a typical example of Ottoman-era urban-planning. In addition to its 19th century fortifications, the site also contains remains dating back to the Assyrian period.[4] | |
Hatra | Nineveh Governorate35°35′17″N 42°43′06″E / 35.58806°N 42.71833°E | Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv)(vi) |
324 (800) | 1985 | The fortified Parthian city of Hatra withstood repeated attacks by the Roman Empire in the 2nd century. Its architecture reflects both Hellenistic and Roman influences.[5] | |
Samarra Archaeological City | Saladin Governorate34°20′28″N 43°49′25″E / 34.34111°N 43.82361°E | Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv) |
15,058 (37,210) | 2007 | Located on the Tigris, the Islamic city of Samarra was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. It contains two of the largest mosques and several of the largest palaces in the Islamic world, in addition to being among the finest example of Abbasid-era town-planning.[6] | |
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities | 31°33′44″N 47°39′28″E / 31.56222°N 47.65778°E | Mixed: (iii)(v)(ix)(x) |
211,544 (522,740) | 2016 | Located in southern Iraq, the site contains three cities of Sumerian origin, namely Uruk, Ur and Eridu, in addition to four wetland areas in the Iraqi Marshlands.[7] | |
Babylon | Babylon Governorate | Cultural: (iii)(vi) |
1,054.3 (2,605) | 2019 | A former capital of Hammurabi, Babylon grew to become the largest settlement in ancient Mesopotamia during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II.[8] |
Additionally, Iraq has sites on the tentative list of UNESCO. The tentative list includes
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of
Religious tourism
Religious tourism is the most popular type of tourism in Iraq, with tens of millions of tourists from several countries visiting Holy cities and places in Iraq every year. These include:
- Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, with remains of Adam and Noah According to Shi'a belief.
- Abbas ibn Ali Shrine in Karbala.
- .
- Al-Askari Shrine in Samarra.
- Sharaf Ad-Dawla the Uqaylid Amir in Samarra
- Abu Hanifa's Shrine in Abu Hanifa Mosque, Baghdad.
- Abdul-Qadir Gilani's Shrine in Baghdad.
- Shrine of Al Nabi Yusha (Joshua) shrine in Baghdad.
- Maruf Karkhi Shrine in Baghdad.
- Shrine of Sirri Saqti in Baghdad.
- Sahabah and a descendant of Muhammad.
- Kumayl ibn Ziyad's Shrine between Najaf and Kufa.
- .
- Al-Sahlah Mosque in Kufa.
- Talhah shrine in Basra.
- Babel.
- Hud (prophet) & Salih in Wadi-us-Salaam Cemetery in Najaf.
- Hilla.
- Jonah, Seth, Saint George and Daniel sanctuary in Mosul.
- Uzair sanctuary in Amarah.
- Saad Ibn Aqeel Shrine in Tal Afar.
- Mosque of Arnā’ūt in Tal Afar.
- Sheikh Jawad Al-Sadiq Mosque in Tal Afar.
- Shrine and Mosque of Daniel in Kirkuk.
- Hamu Al-Qadu mosque at Mosul.
- Mashhad Yahya Abul Kassem at Mosul.
- Shrine of Al Muhsin at Mosul.
Industry
The number of tourist arrivals in Iraq in 2013 was 892,000. In the last two decades the highest number of tourists came in 2010 with 1,518,000 tourists. In 2012, the value of international tourism receipt was $1.64 billion.[10] Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region of Iraq, was a hotspot for tourism. It was considered to be a safe and stable region and least affected by terrorism. In 2012, Kurdistan recorded a 70% rise in tourist arrivals. In 2007 Kurdistan had 106 hotels which increased to 405 in 2012 in addition to 214 motels and 50 tourist villages.[11][12] Erbil city in Kurdistan which was declared as "Arab Tourism Capital" in 2014. However, as of 2015, activities of the militant group ISIS have affected tourism in Kurdistan. According to the association of hotels, tourism in Kurdistan is going through a crisis. The Governor of Erbil said that the financial crisis of Iraq and the war against ISIS have affected all sectors of the economy including tourism.[13][14]
Najaf and Karbala are considered a thriving tourist destination for Shia Muslims and the tourism industry in the city boomed after the end of Saddam Hussein's rule.[15] However, due to the US sanctions on Iran, the number of Iranian tourists dropped significantly.[16]
See also
References
- ^ "Iraq: the world's next big eco-tourism destination?". Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ "Travel and Tourism in Iraq". Euromonitor.com. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ "Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ "Erbil Citadel". UNESCO. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ^ "Hatra". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ "Samarra Archaeological City". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- ^ "The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities". UNESCO. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ "Babylon". UNESCO. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Iraq - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ "Iraq - International tourism". Indexmundi.com. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ "Iraqi Kurdistan records 70% rise in tourism arrivals". GulfNews.com. 2012-08-28. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ Newton, Jay (2012-12-31). "Is Iraqi Kurdistan Emerging as a Tourist Hot Spot? | TIME.com". World.time.com. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ "Kurdistan tourism devastated by ISIS Iraq chaos". News.com.au. 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ "Iraqi Kurdistan's tourism sector is undergoing its worst stages: association". Ekurd.net. 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ^ "Iraq's holy cities enjoy boom in religious tourism". Al Arabiya. 4 April 2013.
- ^ "Iraq's city of Najaf suffers as Iranian tourist numbers drop". The National. 20 February 2019.