Introducing IRAQ
Mesopotamia - the core of modern Iraq - The ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians all developed great empires in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Later on, it was ruled by the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, and the Ottoman turks. This land, with all that it holds, can offer visitors a lifetime of one of a kind experiences that you can cherish forever. Baghdad evolved Into a significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center for the Islamic world. This, in addition to housing several Key academic institutions, as well as hosting multiethnic and multi-religious environment, garnered the city a worldwide reputation as the “Centre of Learning".
• Iraq in Arabic means ‘the fertile’.
• Noak’s ark is believed to have been built in modern-day Iraq.
• The traditional music of Iraq, maqam, is based on Arabic poetry.
Islam. Muslims make up 95% of the population, with considerably more Shiites than Sunni. Others are Christians who belong to various sects, including Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syrian and Roman Catholics, Orthodox Armenians and Jacobite's. Other religious minorities are the Yezidis and the Sabaeans, or Mandaeans, who are followers of John the Baptist.
Owing to a long and varied history, Iraq is a culturally rich country. Today, traditional Islamic culture predominates, with Koranic law playing an active role in the day-to-day life of the country, and visitors should be careful to respect this and act accordingly. Visitors should always address their hosts by full name and title.
80% Arabic (ofcial). Other languages spoken include Kurdish, Persian, Chaldean, Assyrian and Armenian. English is quite widely spoken in urban centers. In the northern region known as Iraqi Kurdistan, many people, especially younger Kurds, will speak only Kurdish with no Arabic. Although, English is widely spoken in towns