Erbil: a first-timer's guide to the Kurdish capital

Why visit Erbil

For many travellers Erbil is the gentle introduction to Iraq. Its airport has good regional connections, the Kurdistan Region has its own security forces and a calmer feel, and the city is easy to navigate. It is also a place with real depth, from the citadel to the Christian district of Ankawa and the mountain roads that start just beyond the ring roads.

The Citadel

The **Erbil Citadel**, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, sits on a tell built up over millennia. Restoration is slow, so parts may be closed, but you can walk in through the main gate, see the restored mansions, visit the **Kurdish Textile Museum** with its rugs and felt work, and look out over the city from the walls. Go at sunset, when the light turns the walls gold.

Qaysari Bazaar and the city centre

Below the citadel, the covered **Qaysari Bazaar** sells spices, honey, dried fruit, Kurdish clothing, gold and household goods. Stop for sweet tea at **Machko Chaikhana**, a tea house of writers and old men on the citadel steps. The square in front of the citadel fills with families and fountains in the evening. A short taxi ride away, the **Mudhafaria Minaret** is all that remains of a twelfth century mosque.

Parks, malls and Ankawa

**Sami Abdulrahman Park** is a huge green space popular for picnics and evening walks. The **Jalil Khayat Mosque** is the city's grandest modern mosque. **Ankawa**, the mainly Christian district near the airport, has churches, restaurants and the city's bars, and is where many expatriates live. The **Family Mall** and **Majidi Mall** are where locals escape the summer heat.

Day trips into the mountains

North east of Erbil, the road climbs through **Shaqlawa**, a resort town of orchards, to the deep **Rawanduz Canyon**, the **Gali Ali Beg** waterfall and **Bekhal**. Further on is the **Shanidar Cave**, where Neanderthal remains were found. These trips are popular at weekends with Iraqi families. Check current advice for areas close to the Iranian and Turkish borders, where military activity has occurred.

Food

Kurdish food is generous: rice with beans, dolma, kebabs grilled over charcoal, fresh bread from clay ovens, yoghurt drinks and sweet tea. Try breakfast of honey and fresh cream, and look for fried fish and kebab houses near the bazaar.

Practical tips

Erbil is spread out and hot in summer, so taxis and ride-hailing apps are the easy way around. Carry cash, as cards are accepted only in larger hotels and malls. Dress is more relaxed than in the south, but modest clothing is still appreciated, especially in the bazaar and at mosques.

Where to stay

Stay near the **citadel** if you want to walk to the bazaar and evening square, in the **Gulan Street** and **100 Metre Road** areas for larger international hotels, malls and restaurants, or in **Ankawa** if you want a quieter base near the airport with bars and restaurants. Budget guesthouses cluster around the bazaar, while upscale hotels sit on the main ring roads. Wherever you stay, ask reception to help with taxis and mountain day trips.