People are once again flying into Iraq. After years of isolation travelers now fly directly to Iraq from Austria, Germany, Greece, Norway, Sweden and the UK as well as numerous cities in the Middle East. There are once again tour operators filling the tourism void, offering tourists more Indiana Jones type of package tours.
Iraq has always been regarded as the cradle of civilization. It is packed with treasures from the ancient world. Iraq has three UNESCO World Heritage sites, while another nine are on the "tentative" list.
Here are four historical sites that might entice the most intrepid of travelers to visit Iraq.
1. Babylon
More than 4,000 years old, this ancient city is found on the banks of the Euphrates River. It was once the home of Nebuchadnezzar, who built the Hanging Gardens, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Saddam Hussein rebuilt most of Babylon extensively so little of the original city can be seen. But there is also one of Saddam's old palaces that is now a hotel in there.
2. Hatra
About 112 kilometers (70 miles) south-west of Mosul in northern Iraq, Hatra is filled with sand-colored pillars and arches that recall ancient Greece and Rome.
Hatra was the capital of the first Arab Kingdom. As a major religious center of the Parthian Empire, it had successfully fought back attacks from the Romans in the second century A.D.
3. Ashur
This city goes back to the third millennium BC, so it really is an ancient city. It's about 97 kilometers (60 miles) south of Mosul and it was once the capital of the Assyrian Empire and a center of international trade.
Ashur boasts of mud-brick foundations of temples and palaces. It also gives a tantalizing glimpse of the dawning of the Assyrian Empire.
The ruins lie in a beautiful landscape by the side of the Tigris River.
4. Samarra Archaeological City
Samarra was capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, which once ruled an empire stretching from Tunisia to Central Asia. It is about 129 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad, and goes 40 kilometers (25 miles) in all. The largest palaces in the Islamic world and the ninth-century Great Mosque, having the famous spiral Malwiya minaret, are among the most spectacular features of this city.
