I visited Erbil Bazaar | Capital of Kurdistan: Erbil, Iraq

Greetings to everyone from #Iraq – #Erbil 🤗

I went here last week and I wanted to share with you the experiences I have traveled and gained. I also tried to share all the details as a picture 👋🏻

First of all, I went directly from Mardin to Erbil with a bus fee of 400₺ from Mardin. I used a bus company called Can #Diyarbakır. It wasn’t very good, but it wasn’t too bad either. I arrived in Erbil in the morning. Buses go to Erbil bus station and there is no public transportation system at the bus station that can fully pass to the center.

Unfortunately, drone filming is prohibited here, so I couldn’t do any drone shots 🙁

Taxis in Erbil are cheap, and you can go to most places for around 4,000-5,000 Iraqi Dinar (3-4 USD). One dollar is equivalent to an average of 1,450 Iraqi dinars, so you can even travel to distant places by paying 3-4 dollars. If you can figure out how to use minibuses, the fares are around 700 dinars or about 50 cents.

I came here four years ago, and the same questions are being asked again.

Why should one go to Erbil?

Erbil is a beautiful place in terms of its historical significance. Culturally, it’s different, like in the movies. In Iraq, I lost my wallet and my money once, and within two minutes, the first person who saw it brought them back to me. It’s not something I experience frequently in the countries I’ve visited. In this regard, I felt that people were very warm-hearted.

Honestly, the weather was very hot, reaching 45 degrees Celsius 🙂 So, it may not be a great option during the summer.

Also, it’s really complicated and a bit overwhelming. Maybe it was because of the holiday, but if you like crowded and complicated places, you may enjoy it here.

First of all, I found a free place to stay on Couchsurfing app on the first day. Since I couldn’t find a hostel on the next day, I stayed in a motel.

Where can you go in Erbil?

• Erbil Bazaar

There are many different products, from money markets to motorcycles, textiles, birds, fruits, and vegetables. It’s open every day and located in a central area, so you can easily visit it.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/Wg75ECUfy1ah1Fj46

• Erbil Citadel

A continuous wall consisting of long facades from the 19th century still bears the visual impression of an impregnable castle overlooking the city of Erbil. The castle has a history dating back to the late Ottoman period. It has also been listed as a World Heritage Site.

The entrance to the castle is free, but it’s open at certain times.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/oR3KemGR4Nmrh9SU7

• Sami Abdulrahman Park

The park, which covers an area of 200 hectares, has two lakes, a rose garden, a martyrs’ monument, as well as a restaurant and a market. There is also a monument with the inscription “Freedom is not free.” You can spend some nice time here, and it has a beautiful atmosphere in the evenings.

Admission is free.

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/BBLMfFFzeiZPJPKX8

• Accommodation

You can find motel options in the city center, but their prices range from 7 to 25 dollars. They may be difficult to find online, so you can ask and bargain for them when you arrive.

The people were really warm-hearted, and that’s why I wanted to share this. I try to share as much relevant information as possible on my social media accounts.

I paid about 13.5 dollars by taxi to get from here to Sulaymaniyah. The taxi was shared by three people, and it took about four hours. I will also share a post about Sulaymaniyah separately.