Many people ask my brother, Hussein, and I why we would go to Iraq when it has so much war and political instability. We are often told how unsafe it is to travel, but there are many areas that are much safer to go to. You need to know where to go and have trustworthy people who can make sure you are travelling safely. It was worth it for us to see for ourselves how friendly and wonderful the residents of Iraq are. They are like anyone else who just wants to live their life in peace and raise their families.
Iraq is an ancient territory and an important land of the Quran and the Bible, with many wonderful places to visit. An ancient city that you have probably heard of is Babylon. It is in the region also known as Mesopotamia. This is a place where they have many archeological digging sites and is right on the Euphrates river.
Basra has beautiful palms and plants. They also have modern bridges and buildings with restaurants and stores like any other place, as well as special outdoor markets. They have a huge modern mall, too. The beautiful city of Erbil has safer tourism as well. In fact, we are told that most of the southern part of the country is pretty safe.
The people in these cities are so kind and friendly with lots of different tribal cultures. We noticed that they have many traditions including warding off bad luck and inviting others to eat with them. Many meals are shared while sitting on the floor, and they have a special flatbread at every meal. We want to go again someday.