The Old City of Akre

Getting to Akre

After getting horribly cheated by a taxi driver, I stormed out of the car in a huff. I hired a driver to take me to Lalish Temple, St Matthews Monastery, and finally to the old city of Akre for around 100 USD. After agreeing on the itinerary and price, he refused to take half of the money at the beginning of the journey and the rest when I reached the final destination.

He then later informed me that he could not go to St Matthews due to ongoing conflicts with ISIS and refused to refund part of the money. Arguing was useless and I angrily left the vehicle only to find out I was in the nearby town of Aqra not Akre. The most direct way to arrive in Akre is from Erbil where you can get a shared for roughly 10,000 Dinar (8USD)

More information on shared taxi prices can be found here.

The Old City of Akre

Fed up with taxi drivers, I decided to hoof it 5 km to the old town of Akre from Aqra. Along the hot road with the sun pounding overhead, I passed a large refugee camp as well as murals depicting the plight of the Kurdish people. While traveling through the region it is important to remember that the wounds are still fresh, and that they are a country just now starting the heal.

While walking through the neighborhoods between Akre and Aqra, an unmarked car screeched to a halt in front of me. Several men exited the vehicle and demanded to see my passport. They claimed to be Asaije, civilian police. After demanding to see some identification, I complied with their request.

Kurdistan is quite safe, but one still needs to bear in mind that it is technically a war zone. The Peshmerga and the Asaije are here for your protection and it is necessary to cooperate with them when needed.

The Great Mosque of Akre

I slowly walked into the embrace of the valley, watching as the panoramic streets grew overhead. The first thing that crossed my mind was: “Where is the bathroom?” Public restrooms are a bit of a rarity in Iraq, so I had to rely on the directions of locals. The directions were nothing more than a finger pointing down the street. I repeated the words “WC?” repeatedly,  which took me twisting and turning through the maze of alleyways built on the side of the mountain.

The blind wanderings through the streets finally brought me to the Great Mosque of Akre. Apparently, most people also make use of its bathroom facilities as well as it being a place of worship. The main courtyard of the mosque was absolutely gorgeous and completely devoid of people. From the hillside, the dome and it’s minaret dominate the Akre skyline, bringing all attention to the mosque. From the ground, you first have to explore the labyrinth of alleys before you can stumble upon the entrance to the mosque.

The Bazaar

The bazaar makes up the entire lower and mid levels of the city built on the side of the mountain. The streets give one the feeling of being underground due to the sheet metal and tarps draped overhead, protecting shoppers from the intensity of the sun. While I was there the market was completely empty except for the shop keepers lounging in front of their shops.

The only signs of life were the busy tea wallahs, rushing up and down the alleyways delivering chai to the drowsy store owners. In typical Kurdish fashion, the locals were extremely hospitable. Shop owners offer tourists anything from tea, food, and ice cream all for free. Refusing is not an option, so after thanking the owners with a mouth full of ice cream, I continued up through the bazaar.

View From the Top of the Hill

One of the main viewpoints of the valley and Akre is from an adjacent hill behind the old castle of Akre. Unfortunately, local police and military forces have settled in the fort, making it impossible for tourists to take a peek inside. Just in front of the lounging police officers is the main traffic circle for Akre. This is the best place to find your taxi back to Aqra or on wards to your next destination (a private taxi to Erbil costing about 40,000 Dinar/34 USD).

In the square there were also some Kurdistan Independence posters left over from the failed referendum in 2017. The view from the top of the hill was sub par at best. Tourists get a view of the whole city, but not much better from what one would see from the ground.

The Church On The Hill

While the mosque dominates the Akre skyline, the church sits at the top. After hiking the steep steps, the chapel and its surrounding buildings are spread out across the top of the city. Despite years of conflict between Christians and Muslims, they today are unified with the idea of Kurdish nationalism. The side of the church, facing towards the valley and the grand mosque, is adorned with a neon Kurdish flag which shines like a beacon on the top of Akre.

Trail to the Peak

Behind the church at the top of Akre is a path leading further up the mountain. There is some debris blocking the path to prevent people from hiking to the summit. Without a soul in sight, I decided to step over the pile of rubble and continue to the top of the mountain.

The path is composed of thousands of stone steps, with a few benches where climbers can catch a breather before continuing up the steep path in the scorching hot sun. The view beats anything you will see from any other spot in Akre, giving visitors a new perspective of the sprawling city.

Unknown Ruins

The wind picked up as I reached the top of the mountain. The summit was surprisingly flat with patches of vegetation. What surprised me even more was the discovery of what seemed to be rooms carved into the rock of the mountain. After further exploring these ruins, I found several buildings, wells, and streets all dug into the summit.

As curious as these buildings were, I was disappointed to not find any indication as to the name of these ruins, let alone their function. Safety is also vital, the complex has many holes and wells which are easy to fall into. If one were to stumble into these ruins they would be badly hurt, with no way of a quick rescue. Despite the risks, this is by far the best view of Akre, giving visitors a great look at not only the city, but the vast Kurdish countryside.

For more information on Akre click here!