The hook
A great mounded citadel rising over a modern city, claimed as one of the longest continuously inhabited places on earth, at the heart of Iraqi Kurdistan, the country's most stable and welcoming region.
01Why it's worth it
Erbil is built around one of the world's most striking urban mounds: the Citadel, a fortified oval town raised on layer upon layer of settlement stretching back thousands of years, giving it a claim to be among the oldest continuously inhabited sites anywhere, with a bustling bazaar spilling around its base. It is the capital of the Kurdistan Region, the semi-autonomous, largely Kurdish north of Iraq, which has been considerably more stable, safe, and open to visitors than the rest of the country, with its own government and a growing, cautious tourism to its mountains, ancient sites, and warm Kurdish hospitality. Beyond the city lie green mountain valleys, waterfalls, and old monasteries and shrines. Iraqi Kurdistan offers a way to experience the depth of Iraqi and Mesopotamian culture with markedly lower risk than the centre and south, though the wider region's situation still calls for checking current advice.
02How to experience it
Explore the Erbil Citadel and the bazaar below it, and use the city as a base for the Kurdish mountains, waterfalls, and ancient sites nearby, ideally with local guidance. Kurdistan is the most accessible part of Iraq, but still check current travel advice and any permit requirements before going.