Traveling in Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, and by far the largest city in the country. The sprawling metropolis has multiple diverse neighborhoods from its bustling downtown, to those representing different ethnics groups and religion, and even places popular for expats! With its world class museums, high end restaurants, and ancient historic sites, there is plenty to see and do for all types of travelers.
Honestly before arriving to Baghdad I was a bit stressed about this whole trip. The horror stories from the mid 2000’s are hard to remove from anyone’s memory, and although things supposedly have changed it’s always hard to believe until you see for yourself. Even in the airport, an Iraqi who found out I was a tourist assured me that the city was safe and there was nothing to worry about. My first night I was pretty conservative, but before long I found myself walking through the entire city alone, without any issues. This photo I took was one of my first, showing the Ramadan Mosque. Aside from feeling safe, I was surprised by how beautiful parts of Baghdad were!
Somehow I ended up mostly exploring random parts of the city on my own, and I really failed to see a good portion of what Baghdad has to offer. This is a picture I took of the Baghdad Mall, which my understanding is up to par with anything you’d find in the west. I didn’t visit the expat neighborhoods, since I was more interested in the historic and Islamic sites in the city, but in hindsight I regret this. I think it would be interesting to see a part of the city that’s transformed and offers everything from international restaurants to night life.
An icon of Baghdad is often the Al-Shaheed or Marty’s Monument, dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Iraq-Iran war. The Iran-Iraq war was one of the most brutal wars of the past century, it’s estimated that at least half a million people lost their lives, with some estimates going as high as two million. The monument was designed by an Iraqi sculpture, and was built in 1983. It remains a symbolic place in Iraq. When I visited it was used by hundreds of Iraqis who had just completed college and were getting their graduation photos taken.
