Comments on: Is Traveling In Northern Iraq Safe?

By: Anil Polat

Anil Polat — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:23:19 +0000

In reply to Joanne. What's you're route going to be and will you be taking a shared taxi or flying in?

By: Joanne

Joanne — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:51:51 +0000

Hi, i am supposed to be travelling to sulaymaniah soon to see my boyfriend who i have not seen in a year and a half. I 100% have to go because it has been to long for both of us . I will be staying near halabja where he and his family live. I already can speak basic kurdish, I can cook kurdish food and i am very acustomed to the kurdish way of life since living with my boyfriend for 5 years over here.. my main concern though is that i know that alot of muslim people look down on westerners and i am worried for my safety . I am also scared that there could be “fake” checkpoints where i will be asked to exit the vehical and then they would kill me…i know it sounds farfetched but i would just like a bit more information on how people in the sulaymaniah region react to westerners and should i be worried about say other people who are friends of his family not agreeing with him being with a westerner and then would that put us both in harms way??

By: Anil Polat

Anil Polat — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:18:53 +0000

In reply to Philip.

Take a look at this site, written by a friend:

http://www.gokurdistan.com/

It should help answer many of your questions. Get back to me if you’ve got any left over and I’ll do my best to help.

By: Philip

Philip — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:18:47 +0000

Hey there!
First of all: thanks a lot for the review of your travels and the useful information and links provided above! 🙂
looks very promising and makes me wanna run to the airport just in that very moment i read all this!

My girlfriend and me was offered a Job in the Faruk Medical Centre in Sulimani.(http://www.farukmedicalcenter.com/default.aspx)
The webpage looks promising, and the job would be for “only” 1 or 2 month.

On the “Contact” part of the webspace appears a map of the city, including the location of the hospital. It seems a little far off – maybe you have an idea of how the districts are to be rated? (is it rather good to live/work on the boarder of the city, or would it be better to stay in the centre and take a taxi to work every morning?

We very much would like to help people and improve the medical system there with our knowledge. On the other hand, we are used to travel to touristy places and like to party also 😉
But to stay on-topic; getting a VISA for EU citizen should be no problem you said, right? How long will it be valid, and is it true, that you will be rejected at USA boarders when having the iraqi Visa in your passport?

As we will be staying there for definitely more than one month, my next questions would be: is it safe and worth to have some weekend trips to the surrounding territory(great mountains), Turkey, Iran or the south?

Sooooo many questions – but i will, for now, leave it to these core questions, and maybe later will ask more detailed – if you are willing to answer of course 🙂
All the best and with the warmest regards from Riga,
Philip

By: Anil Polat

Anil Polat — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:08:24 +0000

In reply to askar.

Here’s everything I’ve written on Iraq to help answer your questions about safety:

http://www.foxnomad.com/countries/iraq-travel-information/

As for the cost of living, I’m not sure as I was only there for a short time and didn’t inquire. Perhaps someone else in the thread can give you more information, good luck.