Day One: Visit the Great Monasteries, IRAQ

the3l3n30
Jun 23, 2020
4 min read

One of the most memorable trip I ever had was Iraq Kurdistan. I never told anyone that I'm going to Iraq except my elder sister. After I'm back from the trip, most of my friend and family was in shock and horror! They asked me so many questions and comments like, “Why would you want to go there?” and “Why you want to get killed there?” But after the trip, it was truly transformational and initially, I really have no idea what to expect in Iraq Kurdistan. But my mind telling me that it would be a learning experience. Iraqi Kurdistan is an autonomous region in northern Iraq located between Iran and Turkey, covering 40,643 square kilometres and has a population of approximately 5.8 million people. Iraqi Kurdistan often described as “the other Iraq”.

I took a flight from Dubai to Erbil with Fly Dubai as it was so easy to get the ticket with staff travel as this place is not popular and well known with the tourists. I remembered on that day my flight was delayed as the flight couldn't take off due to some technical error, so we need to disembark and get back to the airport until they fix the aircraft. But after that, they decide to change another new aircraft and it was around afternoon when I landed in Erbil. My tour guide, name Karwan, was already in the airport waiting for me in the arrival with another two tourists. The feeling of fear and excitement when I was in the immigration was not a joke, the immigration officer ask me so many question and he even though I am a reporter or journalist.

My tour guide and the other two tourists also cabin crews like me.

Our first stop is Lalish, Lalish also known as the holiest site for the Yazidi people, an ethnically Kurdish religious community that has been targeted by ISIS. Lalish is a small mountain valley village characterised by conical roofs that resemble that of the architecture in Georgia. This place definitely worth a trip, as we spend hours here wandering the temple and chatting with locals.

The Lalish people were so friendly and welcoming us. Even offer us the drinks and food.

The entrance of the temple.

In the underground this is an ancient pots hold oil used to light the lamps, one pot for each day of the year.

I also remember I need to take off your shoes before entering the temple grounds as the entire mountain is considered holy by the Yazidis. I also feel surprised by the amount of people here and many of them wanted selfies with us too before we going back.

After visited Lalish, we continue towards Khanis, one of the few partially-intact ruins of the impressive Assyrian Empire.

In Khanis usually there are few local boys swim in the greenish Gomel River. They jump into the water from the shore, and some of the old rocks on which these boys are standing, still bear the clear antique bas-reliefs. The hills dominate above the river, and on some of them you can see the tombs carved in the rock. You could climb to those on the lower level. This place is a remnant of the Assyrian Empire, and the tombs themselves date back to the eighth century BC. Nearby, we can also see small fragments of the legendary hand-made irrigation canals, which in the past probably have a lot in common with the legendary gardens of Babylon.

My final stop for the day was in Alqosh, a Christian town that miraculously survived the advance of ISIS. Tucked in the cliffs of hidden mountain is the Rabban Hormizd Monastery, which we will visit as it is the most famous attraction in Alqosh.

This monastery was built into the side of the mountains above the main town and was found around the 7th century. During the Ottoman-Persian war on 18th century, this monastery being abandoned and today the ancient monastery is just visited by tourists like me and important delegates, although it is still used for mass on special occasions.

The road serpent to Rabban Hormizd Monastery, near the town of Alqosh.

This Christian monastery is integrated into the slope of a steep mountain, old and authentic monk's grottoes are mixed with a bit more modern church walls. Inside there was darkness, and the underground parts still had an atmosphere as if they had not changed for ages.