Iraq Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

The word Baghdad used to conjure up exotic images, from ancient relics to magic carpets. Today, Iraq is a nation struggling to rebuild both its infrastructure and government after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led coalition forces in spring 2003.

Hussein's regime, which had been accused of supporting terrorist groups and developing weapons of mass destruction, has been destroyed, and Hussein himself was finally captured by U.S. troops in December 2003. But the country remains dangerous.

There are frequent reports of terrorist attacks on Shia mosques, Iraqi security forces and government members, all of which frequently harm or kill civilians, as well. Insurgent groups have also targeted foreigners for kidnapping. Electricity, food, fuel, water and medicine are sometimes in short supply.

Though the Iraqi government, legitimized by parliamentary elections in 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2018, is nominally in charge, there are large areas with no military or formal governmental control. A great deal of violence, including bombings of hotels and roadways, has occurred.

Prior to a series of recent wars (with Iran, the Gulf War and the latest military action), Iraq was one of the most developed countries in the region, blessed with a rich assortment of archaeological treasures. It has always had a fascinating blend of cultures: 60% of the population are Shiite Muslim Arabs, about 25% are Sunni Muslim Arabs, and the rest are Kurds and other groups. Baghdad was once home to one of the world's oldest Jewish communities, and Christians and Druze communities can still be found there.

Today this diverse population is struggling to get back on its feet.

Geography

History

Iraq, which calls itself the "Cradle of Civilization," has been settled for more than 10,000 years. The land was formerly known as Mesopotamia and contains the ruins of Ur, Babylon and other ancient cities as well as the site of Assyrian and Parthian cultures. Throughout the country are hundreds of ruins and other cultural landmarks.

After the Muslim conquests in the seventh century, the region became a center for Arab learning and arts. The next major shift occurred when Iraq became a frontier outpost of the Ottoman Empire in 1638, which it remained until the empire collapsed after World War I. The British then ruled until Iraq gained its independence in 1932. Following decades of political violence and instability, the Baath Party leadership gained power in 1968.

Starting in 1980, Iraq was at war with its neighbor Iran. The roots of the conflict, which lasted eight years, are complex: The two countries have traditionally been rivals for regional influence, and although Iran wanted to see its brand of Shiite Islam spread, Saddam Hussein's ruling Baath Party, predominantly Sunni Muslim, feared that imported ideas might find root within its borders (where a majority of the people are Shiites). Both sides paid for their positions—all casualty estimates range well above the 1 million mark.

Iraq attempted to regain economic losses from its war with Iran by invading and conquering Kuwait. This action ignited a war that pitted Iraq against U.S.-led Allied forces made up of troops from around the world. During the war, Iraq sustained very heavy damage, both in military and civilian areas. After the war, Iraq's ongoing conflict with its Kurdish population in the north erupted sporadically in fighting, as well. Saddam Hussein's refusal to cooperate with U.N. arms inspectors provoked additional retaliation, including economic sanctions and threats of war from the U.S.

Citing Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction and the country's support of international terrorism, a U.S.-led coalition of forces did indeed launch military attacks on Iraq in March 2003, ousting Hussein's regime and capturing Hussein himself nine months later. No weapons of mass destruction were found, and the more extreme versions of al-Qaeda and Daesh (ISIS) terrorism only took root in Iraq after Saddam's departure. Iraq has become a magnet for jihadis, or holy warriors, from all over the Islamic world, who in conjunction with former Baathists have organized a major campaign of violence against foreigners, coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.

Snapshot

The foremost attractions of Iraq include archaeological and biblical sites, the ruins of Ur of the Chaldees, the reputed location of the Garden of Eden and the site of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Because of the political and military situation, only the most intrepid adventure traveler will go to Iraq for tourism. Those who want to visit the country—and can get visas—should be aware that visiting central Iraq, especially Baghdad and surrounding Sunni areas, will put their lives in jeopardy.

Potpourri

Nearly every brick in the buildings of Saddamiat al-Tharthar, the resort on Lake Tharthar, are engraved with Saddam Hussein's initials. But in Iraq, that's not surprising: The ruins of ancient Babylon have been reconstructed with modern bricks bearing Saddam Hussein's name.

For years, Iraqi history books taught that Mosul was the home of Saladin, the Kurdish Muslim who defeated the invading Third Crusade, led by the English King Richard the Lionheart. Saddam Hussein, who styled himself a modern Saladin, was born near Tikrit and saw to it that Iraqi histories show Tikrit as Saladin's birthplace. And in the current version, Saladin is no longer a Kurd, either.

Al Kifl, 25 mi/40 km south of Babylon, is said to be the place where the biblical prophet Ezekiel was buried. The prophet Daniel is supposedly buried at Kirkuk, southeast of Mosul.

Berlin's Pergamon Museum houses many of the treasures of Babylon, including the original Ishtar Gate. The British Museum in London also has a large Babylonian collection. Europeans removed hundreds of tons of artifacts in the late Ottoman period.

At the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Iraq live the Madan, or "Marsh Arabs," whose boats have plied those waters since ancient times. The Hussein regime attempted to wipe out the Shiite Madan by draining the marshes, as well as by forcibly resettling the marsh Arabs into prefabricated concrete villages. Satellite images indicated that up to 40% of the marshes were destroyed. The intentional drainage has also endangered the area's wildlife habitat, which has sustained wild boars, ibis and other species.

The solid-gold domes and minarets found on the Kadhimain Mosque in Baghdad, the tomb of Hussein in Karbala and the shrine of Ali in Najaf are distinctive features of Iraqi Shiite mosques.

After Mecca and Medina, Karbala and Najaf are the holiest cities for Shiites.

Arabic numerals, the decimal system and algebra were created in Iraq.