First off, the current conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has spilled over into various other countries in the Middle East, and Iraq is one of them, particularly in capital Baghdad, parts of which have been targeted in retaliatory strikes by Iran and militias aligned with it. But while it´s definitely unsafe to travel to at the moment, once the crisis passes, this is a country that any curious traveler—particularly one interested in history—should visit. Because Iraq isn´t just another country—it's the cradle of human civilization, where writing, law, agriculture, and urban life were invented, and where empires rose and fell for millennia before most of the rest of the world had built its first town. It's not an easy place to visit, but for those willing to engage with its complexity, it offers an experience unmatched anywhere on earth.
To give a sense of size, we're talking about California and Utah combined, or more than one and a half times as large as the entire United Kingdom. Its population of 43 to 45 million is young, diverse and growing. Geographically it ranges from the mountain landscapes of Kurdistan in the north to the extraordinary Mesopotamian marshlands of the south, with vast desert plains in between.
And its society is multilayered. Religiously it´s predominantly Arab Muslim, with a Shia majority in the centre and south and a significant Sunni population in the west and north. The Kurdish people dominate the north with their own semi-autonomous government, while smaller communities of Christians, Yazidis, Turkmen and Mandaeans add further texture. At the heart of daily life are family, hospitality and tribal tradition. The concept of al-diyafa—the sacred duty of hospitality to guests—isn´t just a quaint custom but a living obligation. Visitors are routinely invited into homes for tea and meals by people they have only just met, and there is a palpable desire among Iraqis to show the world a side of their country that rarely makes the headlines.
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