Sights of Iraq
The country, destroyed by hostilities, is not particularly rich in sights, but there are still places to go. For example, for those who have never been to Iraq before, it will be interesting to visit the Museum of Iraq, the exhibits of which almost completely reflect the era of Mesopotamia and the culture of that time. Then, having already taken the time to walk around the museums, you can look into the Iraqi Museum of Natural Science, there are not very many exhibits there, in comparison with similar museum centers of others. Each of the presented exhibits has its own unique history, especially kept by the inhabitants of the country. And, of course, a country living in constant struggle cannot but be proud of its own museum, dedicated exclusively to military operations of all times, presented on museum shelves in a particularly interesting and not as scary way as in real life. Having plunged headlong into the history of Iraq, it will not be a sin to honor with your presence local religious centers, for example, the Great Mosque or Chandani Church, which are located in the city of Mosul. The most beautiful places are in the cities of Kedimein and Nejif, mostly beautifully decorated mosques and tombs. The most important shrine for Shiites, by the way, is the tomb of Ali, located in Nejif. Those who like to stir up centuries-old dust will be interested in a huge number of archaeological excavations carried out throughout the country.
National cuisine of Iraq
In Iraqi cuisine, you can most often find dishes with the addition of dates, rice, vegetables and sour milk, and Iraqis are also big fans of a variety of home-made wheat and barley cakes. From dates, the people of Iraq can cook whatever their heart desires, from sweet halvah and pasta to dessert, and ending with a huge list of date vodka. Dates are eaten just like that, washed down with tea, and with your favorite cakes. Iraqis use rice to make a rather cool porridge, which they themselves call burgul, you need to eat such porridge with sour milk (la-ban), local residents believe that this is more satisfying and healthier. Not so often, but you can still find fish dishes on the Iraqi menu, the reason is simple – fish in the country, in particular in the capital, costs several times more than meat and is considered a kind of luxury.
Transport
According to directoryaah, transport in Iraq is not particularly well developed, due to the frequent hostilities taking place on the territory of the republic. The length of all railway lines available on the territory of Iraq is 2,032 kilometers. Thanks to the railway, Iraq can maintain transport links with neighboring countries such as Syria, Turkey, the countries of Saudi Arabia, Iran, as well as the Iraq-Jordan highway, which is not yet fully used. The capital of the country, Baghdad, even has its own metro, lines have been built here for more than 20 years, but the metro network in Iraq is still not sufficiently developed to be considered fully functional. As for roads and motorways, their total length is more than 45 thousand kilometers, while their quality leaves much to be desired. Aviation is by no means a sore subject for Iraq.
Currency exchange in Iraq
As of June 2011, 1 USD = 1.16 IQD. In Iraq, any banking institutions operate in a peculiar schedule: on any day from Saturday to Wednesday – from 8.00 to 12.30, and on Thursdays banks are closed as early as 11.00. It is important to know that when Muslims have their traditional month of Ramadan, banks can be closed as early as 10.00, so it is better to have time to exchange foreign currency for local in time, so as not to be left with nothing.
Security
The main danger in Iraq is, in fact, the consequences of the hostilities that took place on the territory of the country. They are very different, for example, most of the buildings in the cities of the Iraqi Republic are in a dilapidated state and it is extremely dangerous to be in them. Also, the echoes of the war still rattle the remaining live shells on the territory, so you need to move extremely carefully and only where it is allowed. Most of the mines were planted by terrorists in crowded places, and these are roads, markets, mosques and government buildings, so you should be more careful. In addition, all the water that can be found in the country should be regarded as undrinkable (in principle, the way it is, it is better to drink purchased water, this way you will protect yourself from a number of diseases).
Health
Even before you decide to visit Iraq, it is worth considering vaccination against a number of diseases such as hepatitis B, tetanus, tuberculosis, rabies, diphtheria and malaria. In Iraq, catching these diseases is very easy due to the terrible lack of sanitation. On top of that, the bacteria that cause bilharzia (schistosomiasis) are very dangerous, namely, all the fresh water bodies of the Iraqi Republic are teeming with them, so not only to drink from them, but even to swim there is not necessary. If you are going to stay in the country for more than a couple of weeks, you will definitely need to pass a free AIDS test during the first five days of your stay in Iraq. Such are the strange health laws in this country.
