Iraq Highlights

The Iraqi Marshes are one of the world's most extraordinary natural and cultural landscapes — a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising the ancient wetlands of southern Mesopotamia, home to the Ma'dan (Marsh Arabs) who have lived in reed houses on floating islands for over 5,000 years. The marshes were largely drained by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s as a political act against the Shia population, but have been largely restored since 2003. The combination of the extraordinary landscape — vast reed beds, open water, and the extraordinary light of the Mesopotamian plain — and the ancient culture of the Ma'dan makes the Iraqi Marshes one of the most remarkable destinations in the Middle East.

The Erbil Citadel is one of the most extraordinary urban sites in the world — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth, with evidence of settlement dating back 6,000 years. The citadel sits on a 30-metre high mound (tell) in the centre of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and is surrounded by a ring of traditional houses, mosques, and bazaars. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is one of the safest and most welcoming parts of the country for Western visitors, and Erbil is a surprisingly cosmopolitan and modern city with excellent restaurants, hotels, and a vibrant bazaar.