Baghdad

Baghdad (Arabic: بـغداد Baġdād) is the capital and largest city of Iraq, with an estimated population of 6-7 million. Once one of the greatest centres of learning and culture in the world, Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate during the Islamic Golden Age. It was once a favoured destination on the 'hippie trail' and is packed full of sights.

History
Founded in 762 CE by caliph al-Mansur as the Round City, Baghdad became the seat of the Abbasid Caliphate and grew into one of the largest scientific centres in the Islamic world during the Golden Age of Islam. Five centuries of peace came to an end in 1258 when the city was destroyed by the Mongols who advanced westwards. After a period of Ottoman rule, Baghdad became the capital of Iraq under a British protectorate and as an independent state. Since then, Baghdad has been subject to war, terrorist attacks and attempts at reconstruction.

By plane
The national airline is Iraqi Airways that operates a growing fleet of more than 30 modern jets. They mainly provide domestic flights but Iraqi Airways also offers flights to numerous international destinations, including a few routes from Europe. Numerous other operators in the Middle East also fly to Baghdad, with daily flights from most regional hubs. There are also a few low cost airlines such as FlyBaghdad that have flights to Baghdad. The best way to travel from Europe is either with Austrian or Turkish Airlines. They operate several direct flights per week from Vienna respectively daily from Istanbul. For those working for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Iraq, there are charter airlines operating into Baghdad.

The frequent sandstorms that hit the area can obscure visibility and cause flights to be turned away. It is not unusual for commercial flights to make it all the way to BIAP, and then turn around and return to their origin due to limited visibility on the runway.



By train
Nightly train services are available from Basra, arriving early morning. Prices range between 10,000 dinars for a couchette to 25,000 dinars for first-class. Trains run from Fallujah once daily and Samarra once weekly. Additionally, there are irregular services from Karbala, mostly during religious festivals. Due to the ongoing conflict cancellations are common.



By car
Overland travel is possible from all neighbouring countries and while major roads are generally in an acceptable condition, travelling by car is strongly discouraged due to violence. Baghdad is in the centre of Iraq's highway network, with Freeway 1 from Basra and continuing towards the Jordanian borde being the major thoroughfare. Confusingly, the road from Mosul is named Highway 1.

By bus
Multiple daily buses arrive from most major Iraqi cities. Long-distance bus services from Istanbul and Ankara restarted in the summer of 2018, with two departures per week. However journey time is a gruelling 30 hours or more. Most long-distance buses arrive at the sprawling (گراج العلاوي), next to the central station. Buses leave and arrive from stands both north and south of the Allawi skyway.

Get around
While the almost daily bombings and shootings have subsided for the moment, there is always a risk of getting caught in violence when travelling around the city. Staying vigilant is essential. Many high-end hotels provide their own transport, some even with armored cars.

Baghdad is served by an extensive but chaotic bus network; maps and route information for the network are not available in English. Taxis are also plentiful and quite cheap to use. Walking is possible in parts of the city, especially in and around the old city. Cycling is not uncommon among locals, but there is next to no infrastructure to support it.

See


A combination of heavy redevelopment during the second half of the 20th century, two decades of warfare and neglect has not been kind to Baghdad's architectural and cultural heritage. Generally, the eastern side contains the older districts while the western side is newer. The historic old quarter contains a myriad of alleys and small streets with buildings dating back to the Ottoman era or even older. Many of them are unfortunately in various stages of disrepair. The old quarter is also home to the heart and soul of Iraqi literacy and intellectual community, Mutanabbi Street. The street is lined with bookstores and outdoor book stalls as well as cafés to discuss matters of the day.



Monuments, memorials and public art
Baghdad is home to many monumental monuments and displays of public art. Many were built during the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and evoke mixed feelings among locals, while others are universally loved. A large number of high-profile public sculptures were made by Mohammed Ghani Hikmat (1929-2011), nicknamed the sheik of sculptors.



Mosques




Synagogues and Jewish heritage
Iraq was home to a large Jewish population until the early 1950s. Many left for Israel, often forcefully displaced by the government. Today, only fragments remain of Baghdad's Jewish heritage and there's a handful of Jews residing in the city.



Palaces and landmarks
During the reign of Saddam Hussein, a large number of palaces were built. While not tourist sites per se, they can be of interest to the intrepid traveler. Many are in various states of disrepair and might not be open to the public.



Archaeological sites




Work
There are several ways to work in Iraq as a foreigner. For US citizens the most obvious is the US Army which still maintains personnel here. Next are the government contractors, such as the construction company KBR. Many contractors hire personnel with prior military experience to return to Iraq. Persons with military experience or who are fluent in Arabic are especially sought after. Lastly, there are civilian government agencies in Iraq. USAID send their own personnel as well as contractors to Iraq.

The agencies above are all relevant for US citizens. Citizens of other countries with a presence in Iraq can apply for work through the respective agencies in their home country.

Buy
Rugs and DVDs are available to buy. Inspect the quality of rugs carefully: Some are cheap Chinese-made rugs, and many are extremely overpriced. Also, many DVDs, especially those from street vendors, are bootlegs of varying quality.



Traditional markets


Baghdad is home to several traditional markets with vendors that both produce and sell their goods at the same market. One traditional art is coppersmithing with the Baghdad copper souk producing some of the finest copper artifacts in the world. However it and several other traditional crafts are in decline due to cheaper imported goods.



Eat
Restaurants and cafés have been notorious targets for suicide bombers in the past, making eating out a quite dangerous activity.

Drink


While Baghdad is undergoing something of a liberalization regarding both night life and alcohol, it is still not widely available and large parts of society frowns upon it. While some bars exists, particularly along Abu Nawas Street, a safe bet is always the bars of the top tier hotels. Many international organisations have their own bars as well, and some are open to outsiders.

Tea houses and cafés are however ubiquitous, and often open late into the night.



Sleep
Most organizations arrange their own accommodation. Sleeping in hotels in the proper city is always a risk due to bombings.

Stay safe
Travel to Baghdad is not recommended because of security concerns. Westerners are particular targets of kidnapping and assassination by militant and extremist groups. Baghdad airport is secure, so transiting there if necessary is safe. See the warning on the Iraq article.

The easiest way to stay safe in Baghdad is not to go there in the first place, except for official reasons. Most expats and business travellers to Iraq hire a security detail which constantly monitors the security situation within Iraq and around Baghdad. Travel outside the International Zone is extremely dangerous. Roadside and car bombs are detonated every day in Baghdad. Many Iraqis are armed. Markets and popular gathering places are frequent targets of bombers. As a foreigner you are more likely to be targeted for kidnapping. Kidnappings are often financially motivated. These threats are not restricted to Americans or women. You are also likely to be refused access to accommodation as Iraqis will fear being targeted for supporting the occupying forces.

Heatwaves
Baghdad is prone to heatwaves, with temperatures exceeding 50 C during July and August. Making the situation worse, frequent electrical outages means that even where there is air conditioning it might not work. Being prepared and staying hydrated is essential.

Embassies

 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇷🇸 Serbia
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Basra — second largest city in Iraq and its main port city
 * Mosul — third largest city in Iraq
 * Assur and Hatra — archaeological sites from the Cradle of Civilization
 * Ctesiphon — archaeological sites just south of Baghdad