My first taste of India in Rajashtan
New Delhi and Agra were the first stops on my India tour before I entered Rajasthan, the impressive Land of Kings. This was not my first trip to the Indian subcontinent, but my first...
Author: Tom
Erbil, the capital of a country that does not exist
Our journey through Iraq and Kurdistan was slowly coming to an end. We still had a few fascinating stops ahead of us before reaching Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Although Kurdistan is officially...
Lalish – Visiting the spiritual heart of the Yazidi people
After several days in Iraq, we crossed into Iraqi Kurdistan, the autonomous Kurdish region in the north of the country. There was a passport check at the border, and our Iraqi guide was replaced...
Not much of the Assyrian grandeur remains in Mosul
Mosul was one of those names that appeared constantly in the news for years. Then, almost suddenly, it disappeared from the headlines. For many people, Mosul became synonymous with war, ISIS and destruction. Yet...
Climbing the scary spiral minaret of Abu Dulaf.
On our way north toward Kurdistan, we first stopped in Samarra before continuing on to the ancient city of Hatra. I have to admit I was disappointed that the most famous spiral minaret in...
From biblical Ur to the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq
There is something special about visiting a place you have heard about since childhood. For me, Ur was one of those places. Long before I became interested in travel, archaeology or history, I had...
Karbala, for Shias this is one of the holiest places on Earth.
We arrived in Karbala after dark. The city centre is largely car-free, so our bus had to drop us off at one of the gates. From there, we carried our luggage through security checkpoints...
Babylon, Iraq, and the forbidden photographs of Saddam’s palace
After leaving Baghdad, our next stop on the journey through Iraq and Kurdistan was Babylon, one of the most famous names in history. Most people know it from the Bible or from school, but...
Baghdad, once the largest city in the world.
Before travelling to Iraq, Baghdad was one of those cities I felt I already knew. For decades, television news had shown wars, bombings and political turmoil. Yet Baghdad was once the largest city in...
Iraq – ancient history and a people moving forward
Before travelling to Iraq, most of what I knew about the country came from television news. Wars, sanctions, invasions and endless reports about violence had shaped my image of Iraq for decades. Yet Iraq...
