Sulemania

Sulemania (Kurdish: سلێمانی) was founded in 1784 by Ibrahim Pasha Baban, a Kurdish prince, to be the capital of his principality. Since then it has been Iraqi Kurdistan’s cultural capital and home to philosophers, poets and writers. Its importance is not limited to Iraq, but for the whole of the Kurdistan region, which also encompasses parts of Turkey, Syria and Iran.

Slemani, as it is also known, attracted many Sorani-speaking Kurdish linguists and writers, and here Sorani literature was developed. These writers and poets are today revered with statues and busts in many parks and squares around the city.

The local population are known for being more open-minded and tolerant than in the rest of Kurdistan, Something that will surprise you in Slemani is that women seem to be more independent. In the Arab world, women tend to seem quieter, overshadowed by their male relatives when in public, and never start a conversation with a stranger.

The city is often described as a “cosmopolitan gem” and “a place to be discovered”. It still has many places of interest, the heart of the city is the old town, which despite the name looks rather modern and it is as deliciously chaotic as any medina in Morocco. The old town is dominated by a large open bazaar, which occupies several blocks. It is a marketplace selling mainly food, vegetables and clothes and is buzzing from early morning to late afternoon. Right in the middle of all this is the Grand Mosque, which is open for visitors. In the area there are many small family run restaurants serving simple, tasty and inexpensive food.

By plane
Security is tight at the airport. Only approved taxis can get near the terminal. A small bus takes other passengers to and from the roundabout at the airport entrance. Initial security screening takes place here.

By taxi
It's easy to find a shared taxi between major cities. A shared taxi from Erbil costs ca. 15,000 ID.

See
Sulaimaniya has a great view from outside, above the mountains around it (Goizha, Azmar, Piramagrwn and Baranan). The city is in the phase of transition from a usual city to a tourism city in every sense of the word.



Do
There is a bowling centre, Azadi park and other places to visit.

Buy

 * The Zara supermarket (Go to the East end of Salm Street, where the gate to the bazaar area is, and then 300 meters North, uphill. Or go to Southeast corner of Azadi park. In either case, look for a large silver dome on top of its building.) has appointed itself as the source for Western products. They don't have much, but they are more likely to have something else than other stores.

Drink
Alcohol is not very hard to find, with many restaurants serving it and bars at the hotels. Spirits such as vodka are popular.

Coffee
Coffee is not popular in Suli, and tea is generally a better bet. The local taste is for instant coffee, and the coffee section of a grocery store will be dominated by MacCoffee and Nescafe. Coffee beans generally come only as little bricks of Turkish coffee, 200 grams roasted dark and ground fine. If you don't want 1/4 cardamom, check the package to ensure it’s 100% coffee.



Sleep
Sulaimaniya has some fine international standard hotels with all the expected facilities.

Go next
Erbil is a 2-3 hour drive away on good roads. To find a shared taxi, go to the new Terminal called Garage of Baghdad, which is located in Tasluja west of Sulemania. A seat in a full taxi will be around 15,000 IQD (Sep 2022).