Iraq is an ancient and beautiful land, with an interesting culture and very beautiful nature and big rivers, which not only started human civilization, but also created a beautiful landscape in the middle of the hot land of Iraq. In this article, we will discuss the Places to visit in Iraq.
Ancient mysteries of Iraq: discoveries in the heart of history
There are many ancient monuments in Iraq, we mention some of them.
Shirvaneh Castle: Places to visit in Iraq
Shirwaneh Castle is one of the historical buildings and one of Places to visit in Iraq in Sulaymaniyah province of Iraq, which is located in the south of Klar city. This castle was built in 1734 by the order of Mohammad Pasha Jaf, one of the chiefs of the Jaf tribe, and was used for residence and management of nomadic affairs. The castle is built on two hills; The first hill contains ancient artifacts such as tiles, ceramics and volcanic stones that date back to the Stone Age, and the second hill on which the castle building is built.
This castle is surrounded by four 7-sided minarets and has become one of the tourist attractions of the region due to the way it was built and the view it has on the Sirvan River. The structure of the castle includes a basement floor, two upper floors, an octagonal hall and a small museum.
Kirkuk Citadel: Places to visit in Iraq
Kirkuk Citadel is one of the ancient buildings of Iraq and one of the Places to visit in Iraq which was located around 858 BC (between 858 and 884 BC) in the center of Kirkuk city. This citadel is known as one of the oldest ancient buildings in the city of Kirkuk, and with its vast buildings located on a hill at a height of 130 meters, it contains interesting historical works.
Historians believe that this citadel was first built for military purposes and is known as the military wall of Assyria Nasirpal II. Kirkuk Citadel is also known as one of the important historical monuments of Iraqi Turkmen. During the Seleucid Kingdom, 72 towers were added to this citadel.
Mozafariya Minaret: Places to visit in Iraq
Muzafriya minaret, which is known as Choli in Kurdish, is one of the historical and scenic attractions in the center of Erbil and one of the Places to visit in Iraq. This minaret was built during the reign of Muzaffar al-Din Abu Saeed, between 1190 and 1232 AD, and for this reason it is known as the famous Muzaffariyah minaret. This minaret is made of bricks and is located in the Minaret Park, located a few kilometers south of Erbil Citadel.
Ziggurat Ur
Another place to visit in Iraq is Ziggurat of Ur. in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, the ancient Mesopotamians began to build a large structure using baked bricks and steps, which is known as the Ziggurat of Ur. Ur city ziggurat was built by the order of Ornamo, one of the kings of Ur city, in 2100 BC and is currently located near Nasiriyah, the capital of Dhiqar province. The exact height of this building is estimated to be approximately 60 meters according to its remains, while its current remains are more than 11 meters high.
In the Ur ziggurat, holes can be seen in the outer layer, which may have been created for the evaporation of water and the exit of moisture from the inside of the temple. This building is an example of advanced architecture and technology of ancient times, which still attracts researchers and visitors.
The ancient culture of Iraq and the stars
The people of Babylon considered astronomy not only as knowledge and science about the stars, but also worshiped the stars and looked at them as gods. Little by little, they came to believe that these gods are under the rule of a single god in the sky, and they emphasized that their god is in a distant sky. There are many similarities between Egyptian and Iraqi gods.
The Chaldeans, known as the first astrologers and star worshipers by the Greeks, moved to Mesopotamia around 860-940 BC. Astrology does not seem to have been common in the Levant before the Iron Age, but under Assyrian influence, it became popular around the 7th century BC. The Chaldeans gained power and ruled Babylon from 608 to 557 BC. The Hebrew Bible was mainly compiled during this period (roughly coinciding with the Babylonian captivity).
In Islam, the worship of heavenly bodies such as stars is prohibited in Islamic beliefs due to its incompatibility with the basis of monotheism. Islamic beliefs adhere to the concept of monotheism, the oneness of God, and strongly condemns any star worship and idolatry, including bowing to heavenly beings.
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Star worship is prohibited in the Qur’an. Especially the famous story that Prophet Ibrahim pays attention to the stars and when those stars set, he says: I don’t like those who decline.
The religious movement of the Iraqi people in the ancient period was to praise and worship the stars, and then with the arrival of Islam, they completely left this view. But the legacy of star worship in different forms remained in the people of Iraq and even the world. First, there is a religion that some have said is star worship and it still exists in Iraq, whose followers are the Sabeans. Secondly, the influence of the stars on people still has its followers, which is called astrology, astrology, or astrology, which still has its followers.
Of course, there is a discussion about the star worshipers of the Sabeans. Because it is said that they are the followers of Noah (PBUH). Iraqis: culture, art, and everyday life in a country full of beauty
The beauty of Iraq is not limited to its beautiful river and groves, and magnificent and thought-provoking ancient works. Great cultural and artistic elements can be found in Iraq, which are not unrelated to its ancient history.
Iraqi instruments
Arab countries and especially Iraq have interesting and melodious instruments that have been able to amaze their listeners for years. Many of these instruments are old, and even studying the history of their origin is interesting, such as the Oud instrument, which is attributed to the Sumerian civilization. These instruments still have their charm and their beautiful and ancient sound takes the listener to the heart of the past and at the same time they have managed to maintain their popularity for the modern listener.
Qanun
Qanun is an instrument in the Middle East and Arab countries that is said to have been developed during the early days of Islam. This instrument is like a santor, but it is not played with a santor mallet, and it has its own metal mallet, which is made of silver or brass. This instrument has a very strong and beautiful sound.
The beautiful sound of this instrument is not only related to Iraq and Arab countries, but it has also been welcomed in Iran for some time.
The beautiful sound of this instrument has even fascinated some Western artists, including Julien Weiss, a French artist who became a professor of law and gained fame from the singing of this instrument.
Oud
Oud instrument is one of the symbols of Arabic music, which is also played in Iraq. Its origin has been attributed to the Sumerian civilization and the city of Ur.
The sound of this instrument is attractive and low and has the lowest sound in stringed instruments. It usually has 10 to 13 wires. Its wood is usually mulberry or ebony. The most skilled oud players are in Iraq, one of whom is Munir Bashir.
Kishbah
In Arabic music, there is an instrument similar to the percussion instrument, which is called Darbuke, and it has an important place in the music of this region. Sometimes a darbuke can have a clear and perfect performance in the set of other instruments. But a type of darbuka that is smaller and narrower and popular in Iraq is called kishbah or kishbah. The sound of this instrument is more like wooden sticks hitting each other! And maybe this is the name of this instrument. Khashab in Arabic means wood.
