Travelogue: Iraq

Going to Iraq isn't something that people would appreciate if you tell them. Its not like going to Venice that they'd want to go with you. Instead, when you tell people that you are visiting Iraq, they question your sanity.

At least that's what my friends did when I told them that I'd spend this winter on vacations to Iraq.
"Are you insane? Out of all the places in the world you choose to go to Iraq. That's suicide,"
they claimed.

Nevertheless, I went there and I don't regret it.

To be honest, I expected the country to be in more deteriorating state than it was due to the war. Since the northern parts are occupied by the Islamic State, there was no way i would risk my life to go there. So my travel was confined to only Baghdad, Karbala, Najaf, Kufa and Kazmain. The only reason why we came to Baghdad was that we landed at the Baghdad International Airport.

Karbala

Karbala is best known as the place where, several years ago, the Battle of Karbala took place between the forces of Yazid and Hussain ibn Ali. Even today, a significant number of Muslims, particularly known as Shiites mourn the brutal killings of Hussain ibn Ali (grandson of the prophet) and his companions, children and mistreatment of Yazid's forces towards the family of the last prophet of Islam, Muhammad (pbuh). To the Shiites, Hussain ibn Ali is the third out of 12 Imams.

The Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain. Hussain ibn Ali was killed on the 10th of Muharram (1st month of Islamic Calendar). The day is known as Ashura. After forty days of Ashura, the Arbaeen is obserbved, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world. This year, it was estimated that around 20 million  people came to Karbala between the forty days.
Some pilgrims walk to Karbala from Najaf, covering a distance of almost 90km on foot. Many even walk a longer distance of 425 miles (684km) from Basra to Karbala.

The Shrine of Abbas ibn Ali from a road in Karbala. The shrine is connected to that of Imam Hussain's through a path called "Bain ul Haramain".

The place from where Zainab bint Ali saw the fight of her brother,
 Hussain. In Arabic, it is know as "Tila e Zanabiya"
(The Mount of Zainab)

A monument marking the area where the camps of
 Imam Hussain and his family were set.

 

The shrine of Muhammad and Ibrahim, sons of Muslim bin Aqeel, who was the emissary of Imam Hussain to Kufa.

Shrine of Aun, son of Zainab bint Ali.

Today, Karbala is a city with people living their lives like they do in any other city in the world. It has bustling bazaars, chaotic streets and busy restaurants. Since I was confined to a protected area; that surrounding the shrines, I could not venture into more areas of the city. Here's a glimpse of life of the humans of Karbala.

Date palms on the outskirts of Karbala.
Iraq is the 5th largest producer of dates,
after Algeria and before Pakistan,

Stoves like these were quite a common sight, especially in Karbala. The stoves were always on, and had whole chicken inside, somewhat like our local Chargha in Pakistan. I have no idea what its called or how it tastes (because I am not a fan of middle eastern food as it is quite contrary to our very spicy, desi food.)

Like in many youngsters, Shisha seems to be quite popular among Iraqi youth as well. And how could it not be? After all, this is the Middle East we're talking about. It runs in their blood. 

Iraqi bakery items, dry fruits, sweets etc.

The crime rate in Karbala seemed low. To my dismay, this is how many of the shops were close at night. While taking a stroll, I saw a shop closed like this with some jewelry (artificial) inside, It was very surprising for me, considering I belong to a metropolis with crime and robberies as common as having food. 

Souvenirs from Karbala include things related with religion and also jewelry with either birth stones or those which hold religious importance. Ittar, a kind of persume, is also sold at stalls to tourists.

Many pilgrims buy the sand of Karbala and also tasbih made out of it.

People also buy their Kaffan (a clothing worn by a Muslim when he/she dies and is buried.)

It is Muslim tradition that whenever they go to a holy city, they bring back Tabarruk for others. They are small packets with accessories used for prayer, rings, and dry fruits and sweets.

Najaf & Kufa

Our next stop was Najaf. The city is burial place of Ali ibn Abu Talib, the fourth Caliph as well as first Imam of Shia Muslims. Due to the presence of the Shrine of Imam Ali, the city has earned a reputation of being Holy for people, who come to the city as pilgrims. 

The Najaf Seminary (Hauz e Ilmia) is one of the world's most important centers of Islamic education. It was the largest center for the Shia school of thought until the emergence of Koum, Iran. 

The Holy Shrine of Ali ibn Abu Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Within the Shrine are also buried, prophet Adam and Noah (Nooh). Ali ibn Abu Talib was the fourth Caliph and also the first Imam. 

Another wonder that lies on grounds of Najaf is the Wadi -us- Salam (The Valley of Peace) cemetery.

Wadi -us- Salam is the worlds's largest graveyard, covering 1485.5 acres of land (almost 13% of Najaf). The Imam Ali Mosque (Shrine of Ali ibn Abu Talib) and the graves of prophets Noah and Adam are also part of the graveyard.

The cemetery is the final resting place of more than 5 million people.

It is estimated that during the Iraq war about 200 to 250 corpses were buried here almost everyday. Even today, about 90% of those who die in Iraq are buried in the Wadi -us- Salam. Some also claim that this was the world's first cemetery.

The Wadi us Salam is also the final resting place of prophets Hud and Saleh.






Koufa is another city, so close to Najaf that they are almost one city now.

The importance of Koufa lies in the fact that it became the capital of the Muslim empire during Hazrat Ali's caliphate, with the Mosque of Kufa being the center of governance.

The Mosque of Kufa holds immense religious and historical importance because of several reasons.

Firstly, prophet Muhammad prayed here during his trip to Meiraj (the skies).
Secondly, the flood of Noah started from the ground of this mosque. Yes, water poured out of the ground to mark the start of the great flooding.
Also, Imam Ali used to give lecture here and would pray at this mosque, make decisions, and answer questions of those seeking for answers and help.

The Mosque of Kufa is the place where Imam Ali was martyred while he was leading the Fajr prayers at the mosque, by a poisoned sword.


The mosque was reconstructed around 5 years ago by the Bohra community, and I must say that it is stunning. The distinct colour scheme with combinations of very pastel shades of golden and beige gave it a very unique look. The mosque is simple yet extremely beautiful. Most mosques are very colourful and full of patterns, in contrast to which it it very elegant.

Masjid -e- Sehla

The Masjid -e- Hanana (left). Hanana means affectionate in Arabic.

Legend says that when the dead body of Imam Ali was being taken from Kufa to Najaf, where he is buried, this osque was in the way and its minaret bowed down in respect.

Unlike churches, which are usually beautified with the help of  colourful frosting on windows, usually illustrating a scene from the Bible or that of Jesus and/or Mary, or with paintings, and an overall Gothic style of architecture, mosques have their own unique style with floral patterns, Arabic calligraphy (usually verses of the Quran), names of God, and symmetrical patterns. Islamic architecture consists of domes and minarets with almost no paintings of humans and animals as it is generally discouraged that there be illustrations of living things within sight while worshiping to avoid distraction. 

The entrance to Mosque Hanana is one such example of how colours and patterns are used in a combination on the entrances, walls, domes and minarets of mosques. 

The entrance dome of the Shrine of Zaid ibn Ali ibn Hussain, from the inside. Zaid ibn Ali was the grandson of Imam Hussain through his only survivng son after the battle of Karbala, Imam Zain -ul- Abideen. 

History reveals that Zaid started a campaign against the Ummayad rulers to avenge the murder of his grandfather and his companions and the mistreatment towards his family. While fighting against them in a battle, he got injured and died. His companions buried him under a running stream so that the enemy forces do not know where he is buried. However, the forces found out and his grave was dug out, body beheaded. His body was then hanged around different parts of the kingdom, and then was left hanging in Kufa for four years. It was then burnt and the ashes were thrown in the Euphrates river. 

Quite brutal history. 

The Shrine of Zaid Shaheed from the outside.

The man on the left gestured me to take his photo, and I did.

The fact that there was a language barrier between us sure did become a constraint in having a long conversation, but it could not stop us. 

I asked "Anta Iraqi?" (Are you Iraqi?), he nodded.

"I am from Pakistan," I told. 

"Ah Pakistani! Ahlan wa Sehlan"

(He welcomed me to his country)

And this was it. I knew I couldn't talk more because he wouldn't understand, and he knew I wouldn't understand Arabic. We shook hands, I showed him the photo and he liked it. I said "Khuda Hafiz" as I walked away and we smiled at each other.                 

The Euphrates is one of the two rivers
that flow through Iraq. The other being
River Tigris.

Travelling, overall is a wonderful experience. But one of the best parts of travelling to other countries is that you get to meet people from different places and cultures, sometimes speaking the same language as you and sometimes not even that, yet we still communicate. 

During my trip, I came across people from Lebanon, Iran, India, Bahrain, Canada and Iraq itself. It was really nice to talk to those people and discover and discover what languages they speak, how they live, and then telling them how life is here in Pakistan. 

This particular trip was a great experience. I hope I travel to as many places as I can in the future because its always worth it, irrespective of the place. After all, there's a reason why god made us into so many continents and countries; he wants us to see them all.