Traveling to Rawanduz
Getting Out of Erbil
Compared to the rest of Iraq, Rawanduz is an oasis of high mountains, deep canyons, and cascading waterfalls. It is no wonder that tourists from all over the country flock to this city during the summer months to escape the scorching hot temperatures.
From Erbil you first want to go to the Internation Terminal, which is just next to the Family Mall. From there you can find shared taxis going to all corners of the country. Simply call out the city you want to go to and the locals will point you to the direction of the driver.
When taking a shared taxi, you have to wait for the car to fill up before leaving unless you want to pay extra for an empty seat. A ride to Rawanduz shouldn’t cost more than 10,000 Dinar (8USD). In my case, the driver agreed to take me to Rawanduz, wait for me while I had a look around, and drove me back to Erbil for the price of 20,000 Dinar.
You can find a complete list of shared taxi fares around the country here!
The Kurdish Countryside
The drive from Erbil to Rawanduz takes about 2 hours (116km) and takes you through the golden rolling hills of Kurdistan. Shepards can be seen herding their flocks amongst the endless fields and ancient castles. Not an hour goes by in Kurdistan without passing by some of the once impregnable fortresses of old.
One of the most breathtaking is the Khanzad Citadel. Perched atop a large hill splitting the highway, drivers going either direction get a great view of this centuries-old fortress. Other watchtowers and castles can be seen throughout Kurdistan, some rebuilt and others left in ruin. Be sure to keep your eyes open not to miss out on catching a glimpse of the past.
Check out more historic sites around Kurdistan here!
Canyons of Rawanduz
The landscape changes drastically when beginning the ascent to Rawanduz. The low laying golden hills quickly turn into high walls of rock and stone. It is no wonder that in recent years there have been massive amounts of investment in the region, building anything from small amusement parks to luxury resorts.
Unfortunately, all the ski lifts, resorts, and parks seemed to be closed when I arrived in late July. Making me the only tourist other than some locals who drive up to cool off at Geli Ali Beg, the largest waterfall in the country. Even with the current lack of infrastructure, there are plenty of fantastic viewpoints of the surrounding canyons from the town of Rawanduz.
Downtown Rawanduz
The town of Rawanduz is quite small, stretching out along the edge of the nearby canyon. Other than the main street, the rest of the village is purely residential, climbing up steeply on the hillside. The “downtown” area has several restaurants, convenient stores, and shops. Many old men can be seen in groups dressed in traditional Kurdish clothing, lazily drinking tea as the world passes by.
Some locals when seeing a foreign tourist will even invite you to sit down with them in the street side cafes treating you to lunch. On the edge of the city, overlooking the canyon, there are several sidewalks and walking paths. There also seem to be several cafes and coffee shops abandoned on the promenade, they may just be closed for the hot summer months and reopen during the winter.
Women of Rawanduz
Being a man traveling through conservative Muslim countries, it is difficult to interact with the women in these cultures due to social taboos and religious interpretation separating men and women. This is even more difficult when traveling through as a photographer/journalist. Female journalists have had great success in showing the world the lives of women which most people are refused access. As a male journalist, even though I will be often refused, I still try to engage and make friends with all locals regardless of gender.
After being repeatedly denied, I was finally granted permission to photograph a woman in Rawanduz. Other women refuse to have their pictures taken on the basis of their religion or obsessive husband. But this woman, waved her hand as if to tell me to follow her. She then plucked a white flower from a nearby tree and lead me into a graveyard. The woman then leaned across the headstone, eyes cast down to her flower clasped in her hand.
It then dawned on me that the only reason she allowed me to take her picture was that the grave is that of her husband. I had a sense of shame and sorrow wash over me, I am nothing more than an amateur photographer while this widow is showing me her aching heart.
Before leaving she handed me the flower and walked back to the front of her house to join the other women where I first met her. For many travelers, the destination is nowhere near as important as the people we met along the way. It is the people that leave an impression that we will remember for the rest of our life.
Want to read more about helping the people of Kurdistan? Click here!
Abandoned Mansions
The highest point of Rawanduz is an elaborate two-story mansion at the top of a hill in the center of town. Although now abandoned and gutted, there are some squatters who have closed off two rooms on the first floor for their own personal use. Their chickens can be seen aimlessly wandering a clucking around the yard.
From the roof and the mansion’s many floor to ceiling windows, you can get a panoramic view of Rawanduz and it’s canyons off in the distance. Like many places around Rawanduz, conflict and war have put plans of developing the area on hold. We can only hope with the return to stability and increases in investment will help improve the lives of the locals.
The location could not be found on google maps but these are the coordinates: 36.614244, 44.523691
Day Trip to Rawanduz
Rawanduz has a lot to offer tourists, with its ruins, hiking trails, and an abundance of natural beauty, you could easily spend several days exploring the area. Unfortunately, what the city lacks is tourist infrastructure. Unless you are wanting to camp, it will be hard to find affordable accommodation.
Be sure to leave from Erbil early to see as much as you can around Rawanduz. If you don’t want to pay for the driver to wait on you, it will be best to pick up another shared taxi in the neighboring town of Soran. Traveling to Rawanduz is a must for all travelers visiting Kurdistan, with its unique landscape and welcoming people it is sure to be one of the highlights of your trip to Iraq.
Want more information about traveling to Kurdistan? Click here!
