Kurdistan from the Air! This picture is of the plains surrounding Erbil's International Airport, which has several flights a week from various European and Middle Eastern locations. This rich farmland supplies the urban center of Erbil/Hawler, which is undergoing a major renovation under the democratically elected Kurdish Regional Government. *

Our first stop is Erbil, or Hawler in Kurdish. Erbil/Hawler is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and now acts as the seat of Kurdistan Regional Government. Many NGOs and businesses operated in Iraq have chosen to base their operations here, because of the friendly, open, and safe atmosphere of this ancient city. *

Overlooking the modern city is the Hawler Citadel, or Qalah, which consists of three quarters, Takiya, Topkhana, and Saray. The Qalah was a great Messopotamia city and was a religious center for the Assyrians for a long time. The Assyrians named the goddess Ishtar to watch over the city, and Sennachrib, a great king of Assyria (705-681 BC) had a sophisticated system of aqueducts built to supply the Qalah with water. Currently, the Qalah remains inhabited by Kurdish families, but the government is undertaking an ambitious project to restore and preserve the Qalah's magnificence for future generations. Kurdistan is full of such great archaeological sites having been part of the "Cradle of Civilization." Many of these sites have yet to be fully explored. *

Construction porjects are popping up all over the place in Erbil/Hawler. This picture, taken from the Qalah, shows the traditional bazar that will soon be moved into a new, large building with modern facilities. *

Kurdish Textile Museum. In the center of the Qalah is the new Kurdish Textile Museum, which is privately funded by Lolen Mustefa. Visitors can experience the beauty and intricacy of this handcrafted art and gain insight into the cultural heritage of the Kurdish people here. Weaving is an integral part of Kurdish life that reflects on the experiences of its people, meets their daily needs for food collection and warmth, and has allowed Kurds to remain self-sufficient through extremely hard times. Women of the Kurdish tribes use the wool and hair from their herds and natural vegetable dyes to construct rugs, blankets, clothing, and household items. It is important that the weaving be encouraged now, because years of war, relocation, and oppression of Kurds throughout the region threaten to erase these integral parts of their heritage. *

In the business and government district of Erbil/Hewler is the newly built Sami Abdul-Rahman Memorial Park. A government project with free access to the public, the park is the largest in Iraq. It was named after Deputy Prime Minister Sami Abdul-Rahman who was killed along with many other Kurds in joint terrorist bombings of the KDP and PUK (the two largest Kurdish political parties)headquarters in Erbil/Hewler. The monument shown in the picture lists the names of all those killed in the attack, the only of its kind in Kurdistan since the war freed the Kurds from Saddam's regime. *

Outside of the Sami Abdul-Rahman Park is the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) parliamentary building. This building hosts the elected representatives of the Kurdish people and is surrounded by offices for the various ministeries that run the Kurdish region under the new Iraqi federal system. The way is lined by Kurdish flags, which feature a red, then white, then green stripe with a yellow sun in the middle. This flag was originally used by the Mahabad Republic in the 1950s, but remains the enduring symbol of the Kurdish people today. *

Geli Ali Beg. Next on our stop is Geli Ali Beg. Once pictured on the Iraqi lira during Saddam Hussein's regime, Geli Ali Beg runs from Khalifan to Diana/Soran. Kurdistan is full of many wonderful waterfalls and rivers, which makes it an ideal place for watersports, hiking, and other outdoor activities. *

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