Iraq

Our first stop is at the ancient “Procession Way,” on which the original Ishtar Gate stood. The Germans covered it with asphalt during their excavations, which is flaking now. Underneath we see remains of the original asphalt from the time of glory of the city.

Babylon had existed for 2,500 years. It was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt many times. What we see in Babylon now, dates mostly from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. at around 600 BC. Hammurabi’s Babylon (1791 – 1749 BC) is now below the ground water level and its excavation has not yet been attempted.

From the “Procession Way” we descend down into a kind of street excavated by the German archaeologists. There are wall frescos on both sides of this street representing various gods in several rows. In the bottom row there is the Babylonian god Marduk with head of a dragon. These are the original walls uncovered by the Germans. All walls are made of mud bricks. We can take photos without any restrictions and the local guide gives us a very detailed explanation.

Next, we go outside the city created by Saddam Hussein. We enter the well preserved temple where women by taking bath got rid of their sins. Next area is full of crumbling remnants of the original buildings. Among them we can distinguish double wall that once surrounded the city.

Since the times of Sumerians every city in Mesopotamia had a ziggurat, which was part of a temple. Each ziggurat had 2 to 7 floors and generally it was a high-rise building. The Babylonian ziggurat was completely destroyed and the place, where it stood, is a pit now.

Mesopotamian ziggurats were not places for public worship. They were the dwellings of gods and each city had its own divine protector. Only a priest could enter a ziggurat and he was responsible for care and needs of the gods. In the Sumerian society the priest had great power.

Meanwhile clouds had covered the sun. We go back through the newly rebuilt Babylon, whose bricks carry Saddam’s name. In the pre-throne and the throne rooms our archaeologist Geoff plays Alexander the Great for us. Alexander the Great died probably of malaria here. After 3 hour tour we return to the entrance and past the 1958 “Ishtar Gate” to our bus.

The last place we are to visit is the Saddam Palace, which rises on the artificial hill above the ancient Babylon. When we get there, several local police officers stand around the building. The palace had been looted of everything except the ceilings where the vandals could not reach. The walls of the empty halls are covered with graffiti. There are missing doors, windows and metal parts of bathrooms. Yet it could be rebuilt in a 5 star hotel. A policeman tells me that something like that is on a drawing board. There is a beautiful view of Babylon from one terrace and at the water of the old river bed of the Euphrates River on the other side of the building. There is a ship tied on the opposite bank. This opposite bank is covered with a date palms grove. I am told that the dates from this grove are not harvested. Instead, Iraq imports dates from other countries. I gather, it might something to do with the American rebuilding the Iraq oil infrastructure.

Saddam Hussein did not sleep in the main building, but in a lower structure next door. He had a lot of palaces all over Iraq and perhaps he visited this one only once or twice. After his fall the locals took his palaces by storm. I am taking photos with several Saddam motifs, which miraculously survived. However, it is time for departure and for visit of other places in this country.

On May 11, we drive to city of Van lying at a large lake of the same name. Some 7 months ago there was a 7.2 strong earthquake in this area. Many peoples died and the damage is still visible. We see ruins of the capital of Urartian State from 8th century BC. It is Van fortress now. Next stop is in a carpet factory. Then to our hotel. Next day we visit a Kurdish “Hosap Castle,” then “Cavustepe” (second capital of Urartians) and in a boat to an island in Lake Van to see an Armenian Church.
On May 13, we leave Van and drive to Tatvan. Here from a bus to a van to go to 3000 m high Mt. Nemrut. Along the way we visit an Armenian Church changed to a mosque. During WWI, the Armenians were either killed by Turks or were forced to leave Turkey. So, there are no parishioners here now. Due to snow, our van can’t get near the mountain. Sciatica is giving me problems, so after about 1 km walk I give up. In midafternoon, we are brought to a hotel in the mountains.
Next day our bus takes us to Diyarbakir. On our drive there, we stop at caravanserai “El-Aman Hani.” Now and then they are police check points manned with machine guns. We reach the 2 mils. people Diyarbakir early in the afternoon. We visit the “Grand Mosque” then “Syriac Christian Church” from 3rd century AD. Our hotel in this city was originally a caravanserai and its name in Turkish is “Kervansaray.” It is far less comfortable than other hotels.
Before leaving Diyarbakir on May 15, we take photos of the Tigris River from the city walls which encircle the Old Town. At noon, we are at Lake Ataturk formed by damming the Euphrates River. We take a 15-min ferry across. Then we drive to city of Adiyaman. From there to a burial mound of royal family Kommagene from 3rd c. BC, next stop at a Roman bridge from 2nd c. AD and later at burial tumulus and complex of king Antiochus dated to 1st c. BC. I rent a donkey to take me to the top to see the ruins of a palace, carvings of gigantic heads and the tumulus. From here to our hotel in Adiyaman.
The following morning, we depart Adiyaman with a stop at Ataturk Dam and coming to Gaziantep at 1PM. In the afternoon, we visit a new museum showing mosaics from a Roman city of Zeugma. Then we do sightseeing of the old Gaziantep. Next day we drive to the town Urfa. At one new dam, we visit the Roman town of Zeugma. The water of the dam partly submerged this town. Before that happened, the mosaics were removed and put in Gaziantep museum. However, those houses above the water level are still being excavated and protected by roofs. Those we explore now. We do a sightseeing tour of Urfa afternoon. We see a park with so called Abraham pool. It is said that Abraham was born in this place. There are two mosques near. There is a citadel above the park. Many local families have picnic here.
On May 18, we take a trip from Urfa to ruins of “Harran” reaching to 3rd mil BC. Near we are visiting beehive houses of local people. Our next stop is in “Gobeklitepe”. It is a newly discovered Neolithic settlement up to 11 thousand years old. Back in Urfa for lunch we see a demonstration of local Muslims, who want their daughters can wear hijab to school. Next day we leave Urfa for Mardin where at noon. In the afternoon, we visit a “Syriac Christian Monastery” outside the city. Back in Mardin we go to a museum. Our local hotel is again a caravanserai. I am not happy about it.
On May 20, we drive farther east to town Midyat. South of it we stop at “Mar Gabriel Monastery.” Its oldest part is from 397 AD. Then we return to Mardin to visit “Kasimiye Medressa” built in 15th c. The town is on a sheer incline and the streets are on horizontal strata with staircases in between. After lunch, we climb 100 stairs to “Zinkiye Madrassa.” Later we see “Ulu Cami” from 11th c.
May 21 is the last day of our East Turkey trip. In the morning, there is still a walk through a “Syrian Christian Church” built in 569 AD. But later most of our people fly home, while I and Marcia continue the trip to Kurdistan in the northern Iraq. In a car, we go along the Syrian border east. In 4PM we are at the Turkish-Iraqi border. With some difficulties, we cross the border. After finding our Kurdistan guide we drive to town of Zakho to take pictures of a Roman bridge. We are in autonomous Kurdistan which is part of IRAQ. After that we continue to Dohuk. There is our hotel there. Next day we do sightseeing around Dohuk. We make a visit to Al Qush village, where Jews used to live. There are Christians there now. The second stop is at “Hurmiz Monastery.” We must climb 150 stairs to it. Then to town of Latish with a most important temple of Yazidis, which we visit. Late in the afternoon we explore downtown Dohuk. Then we are driven to see the Zoroastrian’s fire temple in “Chewar Stoon Cave.” There is a park called “Dream City” with various attractions for young people.
On May 23, we leave Dohuk for Rawanduz. Along the way we visit an ancient city Amadiya high on a mountain. In town Barzan we stop at the grave of Barzani who fought Sadam Husain. His son is president of Iraqi Kurdistan. Next stop is at “Shanidar Cave.” There were 15 skeletons of Neandertals found in it. We are overnight in a resort above Rawanduz. The following day we go through a valley to Iranian border. The day after we drive with stops like “Zarzi Cave” to Sulymania.
On May 26, morning we visit a “Red House,” where Sadam tortured thousands of Kurds. After noon, we reach the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Erbil. We do sightseeing of the Erbil Citadel. Then to our hotel. Next day I have a talk with an American colonel about the situation in Iraq.
After midnight on May 28 I and Marcia are taken to the Erbil airport. We fly to Istanbul. From there she flies to USA and I to Prague, Czech Republic, where I land before noon.

Travel office: Spiekermann Travel Service
Who took part: There were 14 tourists and a local guide Ali in Turkey. There were 2 of us in Kurdistan and a local guide.

On Mar 15 we depart Najaf and after 4-hour driving we reach the area of ancient city Nippur. Because it is large we explore it by our bus. From here among irrigation channels and date palms groves to another Shi’a holy city Karbala. There, the following morning we visit Shrine of Hussein (nephew of Ali). After few hours of driving there is sightseeing of the famous Babylon. We enter through a copy of Ishtar Gate (I have seen the original in a Berlin museum). Saddam Hussein partly rebuilt Babylon on its ancient foundations but not in its historical form. Above the excavation looms one of Saddam’s Palaces. It was looted and covered with graffiti after Saddam’s overthrow. Another 40 min. drive to city of Kish whose zenith was 2.500 BC. We come to Bagdad at night. We will be here 4 nights and 3 days.
On Mar 17 we have a special permission to visit the “Bagdad Museum” which with the British Museum and Louver belongs among the greatest museums of the world. Nowhere there is such a collection of gigantic statues and reliefs from antiquity as here. It is not open to public because the museum is not yet ready. So, we have it several hours just for ourselves. After crisscrossing Bagdad, where there are bombings almost every day, we take a walk through the old town. Next morning, we make a daytrip to 125 km distant Samarra. The dangerous highway is protected by series of bunkers with soldiers. Samarra is another Shi’a city. The 8 century “Spiral minaret” is our first stop there. Most of us climb to its top. Second stop is at Shrine of Al-Askari with a gold covered dome. The shrine was blown up in 2006. It is still being worked on with the pilgrims all over. During return ride already in Bagdad we pass near pedestal of Saddam’s statue from which only the boots remain. The last day in Bagdad we drive to 35 km distant ruins of Ctesiphon. It used to be a royal Persian capital for 800 years before the Islam came. Outside Bagdad we had again a military escort. After we return to our hotel, I learn from TV, there were 12 bombings in Bagdad today, 56 people were killed and 160 to 200 wounded. It is time to leave.
Early on Mar 20 we leave Bagdad in a bus. We drive north to Kirkuk and to the safer Iraqi Kurdistan and its capital Erbil. In the afternoon there is sightseeing of the city including its Citadel. After only few hours of sleep in our hotel, we get up at midnight and are taken to the airport for an early flight to Istanbul. While everybody else board a plane for USA, I fly from Istanbul to Prague, Czech Republic. There the plane lands in mid-morning on Mar 21, 2013.

Travel office: Spiekermann Travel Service (STS)
Who took part: There were 15 travelers and Ihab owner of STS, Geoff archeologist and 2 Iraqi travel company representatives. We had on and off military escort.