{"id":957,"date":"2021-07-05T08:55:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T06:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/?p=957"},"modified":"2026-03-13T23:49:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T21:49:02","slug":"10-best-things-erbil-iraq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/againstthecompass.com\/en\/10-best-things-erbil-iraq\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in Erbil (Iraq) – A complete guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Erbil<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Wanna travel to Iraqi Kurdistan with Against the Compass?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Join a group of like-minded travelers in our next scheduled tour in Iraqi Kurdistan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 19th to 26th, 2027<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Not many cities in the world can brag about having as much history as Erbil has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historians claim that the city has been permanently inhabited since the 5th millennium B.C., making it one of the oldest cities in the world, if not the oldest. Erbil’s Citadel is a UNESCO World Heritage site<\/strong> for being an astonishing example of a multilayered archaeological mound, today overlooking a modern city that has grown around it over the centuries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With more than 7,000 years of history, Erbil – or Hawler, as the locals call it – is the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, a city with fantastic old bazaars and traditional caf\u00e9s, which can all be visited while you bump into the many locals that hang out in the lively Erbil’s central square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, if you think that visiting Erbil is just about wandering around a traditional Muslim city, you are completely wrong because Erbil is a modern metropolis which for the last years, has become a regional business hub, home to a large expat community and some of the best nightlife in the Middle East, often compared to Beirut<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have traveled to Erbil three times, so here is a complete Erbil tourism guide, which includes the best things to do in Erbil<\/strong>, as well as plenty of travel tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n