Sunday, Apr 6 — Baghdad
My flydubai flight FZ 732, a Boeing 737-8 MAX (A6-FKP), lands on time at Baghdad Al Muthana Airport (BGW) at 5:55 PM. My arrival is smooth enough. I'm detained for a while with other foreigners in a holding area where we all sit quietly. Among us are some businessmen, an Asian girl, a few other unmemorable people, and myself. At one point, I lose focus and the girl cuts ahead of me nonchalantly. Eventually, I’m called to a desk. A photo is taken, and a full-page visa is carelessly slapped into my passport. I protest the ugly crease in what should be a trophy visa, but the agent waves it off, telling me not to worry. I’m not concerned it won’t work—just mortified that my hard-to-obtain visa is marred. In a moment of improvisation, I carefully peel the visa off the page, smooth out the crease, and reattach it properly. I feel victorious.
That moment when you pass customs and walk through the electronic gates into the general population of a foreign airport always brings an adrenaline rush—especially here, in Iraq, a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" country per the U.S. State Department. So I’m thrilled when I spot a sign with my name, held by my soon-to-be driver. What a relief. We drive through Baghdad, my pupils wide like a cat stalking prey. Soon, we arrive at the Noor Land Hotel, and I check into room 606, I think, the corner left room on the top floor. Later, I wander the local streets near my hotel, taking in the Baghdad night.
Monday, Apr 7 — Baghdad
Breakfast at hotel
Aladdin Lamp and Fateh Square drive by
Liberation Square
Khulani Square and buildings of the Iragi architectural modernism style, such as Binayat Aldaman Government office, Iraqi Reinsurance Company Headquarters, Baghdad Municipality (by Hisham Munir), Amanat Baghdad Administration, and the Al-Khilani Mosque
Drive by Saint Mary Church
Abbasid Palace; Al-Mutanabi street; Dried lime tea in Al-shabander; Old bazar and copper Market; Karada Market
Late big lunch at Al Watheq Shawarma Restaurant, where I order the Iraq lamb
Ctesiphon
Dinner at Ni caffè in Dijlah Village shopping mall
Stay at Noor Land Hotel
Tuesday, Apr 8 — Karbala
Drive past Al-Mansour Hotel, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Iraqi National Museum
Drive past Real Estate Bank of Iraq, over Tigris, Ministry of Interior building, Oil Ministry building
Martyr Monument
ancient Babylon
Saddam Palace
Lunch at Riyhanna Restaurant & Cafe
Drive to Karbala
Check into Awlad alHasan Hotel
Rooftop sunset view
Imam Husayn Shrine
Al-Abbas Shrine
Imam Abbas shrine; Imam Hussein shrine; stay at Awlad alHasan Hotel
Wednesday, Apr 9 — Nasiriyah
Drive to Najaf
Wadi-us-Salaam CemeteryDrive to Ur
Ziggurat of Ur
Late lunch at Heritage Restaurant / Dhi Qar ( مطعم تراث / ذي قار ) in Nasiriyah
Check into Somerion Hotel, Nasiriyah
Walk along the Euphrates River. Dessert and tea at Ayub Shawarma and Sweets ايوب شاورما و حلو ( 31°02'15.4"N 46°14'01.3"E ). Hang out at Taj Mall next to the river, and then serveral of us walk through the evening cafe area near downtown, and then we head back to the hotel.
Thursday, Apr 10 — Baghdad
Breakfast in the hotel
Drive to Chibayish for the Marshes boat tour. We eat Masgouf, a Mesopotamian dish consisting of seasoned, grilled carp, in a nearby mudhifs--, a traditional large, arched structures made from reeds. Kids were hanging about, and the lunch was great.
Coffee at Chocolate Saray in Nasiriyah
Drive back to Baghdad, check into Noor Land Hotel
Try to find a bar, but none are still open. So we visit the Thousand and One Nights Park and sit at Lievito Cafe for dinner and hookah.
Friday, Apr 11 — Mosul
Depart the hotel, pass by the World Heart Hotel as we cross the Tigris River. Also pass the uncompleted Al-Rahman Mosque, Baghdad.
Tea at the Alwa Balad Restaurant ( 33°57'10.7"N 44°09'19.9"E ), near Balad, about 1 hour out of town.
Visit Malwiya Mosque, or the Great Mosque of Samarra
Visit Abu Dulaf minaret, about 40 mins away
Hatra, tour the Maran temple, and interior, climb the roof. I meet up with a PMF guard and we take a photo.
Drive to Mosul. Have dinner on the outside lawn of Lamassu Restaurant
Check into room 203 of the pleasant Modern Palace Hotel, Mosul
Evening walk to the river and old town
Saturday, Apr 12 — Erbil
Breakfast at hotel, great view of the Mosul Grand Mosque
Tour the Bash Tapia Castle
Old Mosul tour visiting the Great Mosque of al-Nuri, Mosul, Old Mosul’s destroyed area, dried lime tea stand, Al-Sa'aa Church, Souq Bab al-Saray, and the riverside corniche.
Say goodbye to some folks and drive to and enter Iraqi Kurdistan.
Lunch at Kabab Yasin Restaurant
Check into room 504 of the Erbil View Hotel
Walk to the Erbil International Hotel, and go to the high-floor Loft Bar for some drinks
Sunday, Apr 13 — Erbil
Visit the Erbil Citadel, Qeyserî Bazar, and Bakhi Shar Park. Visit Qawexaney Qella for great view and a tea.
Mudhafaria Minaret
Samî Abdulrahman Park
Shkar Fish Restaurant ماسی شکار
Evening walk around Ankawa
Monday, Apr 14 — Erbil
Mar Mattai monastery
Lalish
Lunch at Akre Qalia
Akre and view point
Drive back to Erbil
Evening walk around the hotel
Tuesday, Apr 15 — Erbil
Raining today.
Geli Ali Bag Waterfall
Rawanduz canyons views
Bekhal waterfalls and village
Rawanduz town waterfall view point
Lunch at Kabab Mahmud
Shaqlawa bazaar
Drive back to Erbil
Empire world, and The Two Princes English Pub, then walk across the street to Dream City
Wednesday, Apr 16 — Istanbul
The taxi picks me up from the Erbil View Hotel. It’s a special service, so the driver bypasses the standard airport drop-off area and takes me directly to the terminal at Erbil International Airport (EIA). For some reason, he feels the need to cruise at over 100 km/h down the deserted road to the airport—but I let it fly.
After clearing immigration and customs, I board Pegasus Airlines flight PC 817, seat 3F. At 2:40 AM, our Airbus A321 (tail number TC-RDL) departs for Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) in Istanbul, Turkey.