Iraq 2013

IQ-13 - IRAQ Date of travel: Mar 8 - Mar 21, 2013 ITINERARY: On Mar 8 in the evening I fly from Prague, Czech Republic to Istanbul, Turkey. Here I join our traveling group. There is a problem to get on the plane to Iraq, because our group does not have visas to Iraq. The last minute we board the plane and early in the morning on Mar 9 we land in Basra, IRAQ. The same day with our military escort we visit the confluence of Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. Later we sightsee Basra then go to our hotel. The following day we see the excavations of Sumerian city Ur with its famous ziggurat. Later on we come to the Shiite city Nasiriya where overnight following 3 nights. Next day we take a boat ride in marches which Saddam Hussein tried to dry up to stop local Arabs insurrection. On Mar 12 we visit with an Iraqi archeologist Nigiris and the ancient Lagash. First stop is in Nigiris where the French were digging in 1887-8. The Lagash itself we see later in the afternoon. It’s a field covered by pieces of pottery. We may examine them but we must leave them there. The following day we leave Nasiriya. At noon we reach excavations of Uruk. Most of us claimb its ziggurat. By night we are in the Shiite holy city Najaf. Women of our group get to wear black overcoat “abaija” in holy places. Next morning we see the nearby holy city of Kufa. In the afternoon back to Najaf to visit a shrine with grave of Ali, relative of Muhammad, and the reason why Muslims split in Sunni and Shi’a. 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.