Discover Arbela: Citadel, valleys and hiking trails

Arbela brings together historic architectural forms, valleys, forests and paths through the landscape.

History on hills and in towns

The Erbil Citadel is a fortified settlement on an oval archaeological mound in the Kurdistan Region, in Erbil Governorate. An unbroken row of tall 19th-century façades creates the impression of an impregnable fortress; the town plan has a fan-shaped pattern dating from the late Ottoman period. The citadel thus combines the form of a fortified settlement with a town plan from a later era.

Rawanduz also offers a historical gateway to the region. The town was the capital of the Emirate of Soran, which ruled over large areas of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region for many centuries. Rawanduz is also considered the oldest district in Erbil Governorate. Its history can be connected with the town’s landscape: Rawanduz lies on a rocky slope and is surrounded by two deep valleys.

Forests, valleys and seasons

Shaqlawa lies on the slope of Sefin Mountain in a large valley with dense forests and gardens. Together with the rocky slope and deep valleys around Rawanduz, this creates a distinct contrast in the landscape: forests and gardens define the scenery in Shaqlawa, while the description of Rawanduz is shaped more by rock and steep-sided valleys.

Shaqlawa is considered an important tourist city in Iraqi Kurdistan and attracts visitors from Iraq and the region, as well as some from the Gulf states. Temperatures there are moderate; however, winters are very cold and bring a lot of rain and snow. If you are weighing up different times to travel, these pronounced winter conditions are as much a part of Shaqlawa as its forests and gardens.

There are numerous summer resorts in Erbil Governorate, spread across different parts of the governorate. The region’s diversity thus extends beyond any one place. When planning your trip, you can first consider whether you want to focus on historical sights, valleys and forests, or travelling through the landscape.

Hiking between Rawanduz and the Zagros Mountain Trail

From Rawanduz, visitors can continue on foot past Pank Resort to the well-known summer resort and waterfall of Bekhal. This is a specific hiking option starting in Rawanduz and leading to a named destination. If you plan this route, check the current conditions before your visit.

The Zagros Mountain Trail is on a different scale: it is 215 kilometres long, passes through 36 villages and five towns—including Akre, Dinarta, Soran, Rawanduz and Choman—and leads to the foothills of Mount Halgurd. It is described as the longest trail in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. While the route from Rawanduz to Bekhal describes a specific hiking option, the trail is an extensive route through several towns. These two descriptions offer different points of reference if hiking is to be a focus of your trip.

Further afield in the region, northeast of Erbil, lies Hasarost, a 3,607-metre-high mountain described as the highest mountain in Kurdistan. In some areas, snow remains all year round; otherwise, the area is covered with shrubs and grasses. These details add another regional landscape to the forests and valleys.

Choosing a destination therefore starts with what you want to focus on—not with a general assumption about what amenities accommodation should have.

Discover more destinations

Also discover Arbil.

Discover more destinations: Najaf, Baghdad, Arbil, Al-Karbala, Kurdistan Region.

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