Erbil.
Your next chapter?

Overview

Erbil (Hewlêr or هەولێر in Kurdish and also transliterated as Arbil) is the capital and largest city in Iraqi Kurdistan, and the fourth-largest city in Iraq. It is one of the oldest continually-inhabited sites of human civilization, and is also a rapidly-growing and urbanizing center for the oil industry and NGOs in the Middle East.

Districts

Old Erbil The historic and geographic center of the city. Home to most major tourist sights, including the Citadel, Qayseri Bazaar, and museums, as well as many government offices. South Erbil Neighbourhoods immediately south of the old city include Minaret Park, Shanadar Park, and Iskan Street. Northwest Erbil Brand-new developments between Kurdistan Street and Peshawa Qazi Street, west of Ankawa include many of the city's restaurants and hotels, as well as Sami Park and many upscale villa and apartment communities. Northeast Erbil Developments east of Ankawa and outside Kurdistan Street include Erbil's three major shopping malls, hotels and restaurants, and sprawling, brand-new villas and apartment towers. American Village On the northeastern outskirts of Erbil, this community contains a large number of foreign companies and workers as well as a popular bar. Komari Where the stadium is located. Ankawa Christian suburb to the north of the city and close to the airport, home to most of the city's bars, many hotels, and a large expatriate community.

Understand

Climate Erbil has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa), meaning it has extremely hot summers and cool wet winters. January is the wettest month.

Get in

Austrian Airlines has flights between Vienna and Erbil on a daily basis. Turkish Airlines and Iraqi Airways fly to Istanbul daily or almost-daily. Pegasus flies three times a week to Ankara; Turkish and Pegasus also fly to Antalya during summer. Middle East Airlines flies to Erbil from Beirut on 7 flights per week. Royal Jordanian has daily flights to Amman, while Iraqi Airways has several flights a week to Amman. Qatar Airways flies 4 times a week between Erbil and Doha. FlyDubai has flights to Dubai daily, while Emirates flies twice a week to Dubai. Eurowings flies to Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin, and other cities in Germany once or twice a week.

Other destinations are served with less frequent flights. In Europe, destinations with at least weekly flights include Berlin (Iraqi Airways), Dusseldorf (Iraqi Airways), Copenhagen (Iraqi Airways), London (Iraqi Airways). Egypt Air has flights four times a week to Cairo, while Mahan Air has three flights weekly to Tehran. Iraqi Airways provides frequent flights to other parts of Iraq, but the security situation in these places is rarely safe even for experienced travellers.

There are many Iranian bus companies that run services connecting Iran to Erbil. This is about 916 km or 10 hours. There are many cities in Iran that connect to Erbil by bus including Tehran, Isfahan, Tabriz, Shiraz, Kurdistan, and Ahwaz. The VIP buses travel from Tehran to Erbil every day, 2 buses per day. If you move to Erbil by bus, you should stop in Piranshahr city, at the Iran-Iraq border, to show your passport. If you have an Iranian passport, you don't need a visa to cross the border.

Bus companies also connect Erbil to Diyarbakir in Turkey (10–15 hours) and Istanbul (36–48 hours). You can find ticket offices of most of these companies at Erbil International Terminal. Arrival time depends on border formalities (around 1 hour from Turkey to Iraq in May 2019 and 2 hours back to Turkey).

Get around

Public transportation is available in the form of taxis and some bus routes, but automobiles are the main mode of transportation. Compared with other cities in the Middle East, shared taxis and buses are very infrequent and impractical. If you don't know your way around or have a guide with local knowledge it is inadvisable to try public transportation alone. In terms of taxis there are several choices:

Airport Taxi. Taxi service at Erbil Airport

Soran Garage. This is a Garage where you can find shared taxis going to some eastern destinations in Iraq, such as Soran, Ranya or Rawandoz (10000 IQD). Just ask somebody for your destination and you will be directed to the right “platform”. Expect to wait until the taxi is full before the ride starts.

Baghdad Garage. This is a Garage serving cities to the south of Erbil, such as Dukan, Kirkuk, Baghdad, Sulemania. Has both minibuses as well as shared taxis.

"Street Taxis". Generic independent taxis, which will take you most places in Erbil and Ankawa. For a drive across town (15–25 minutes), expect to pay 4000–6000 dinars.

Careem Taxi: Careem is like the Uber of Erbil. Many people use this taxi app to go to places in Erbil, and it is fairly cheap.

Europcar. Most of their rental cars have automatic transmissions.

Talk

There people who can hold a basic conversation in Arabic. Many people (especially young people) can also speak English, and may well prefer this, as some regard Arabic as a colonialist language, associated with painful episodes in Kurdish history.

See

Citadel of Erbil. The Citadel is a in the centre of the city. It is a round structure, 30 meters high which dominates the old city and has been built upon seven layers of civilization. The total area of the Citadel is 110,000 m². The history of its building dates back to 6000 years and has been continuously inhabited since its founding. The citadel has seen the reign of many historic civilizations including Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. Other ancient powers including the Achaemenian, Seljuks, and Sassanians also dominated the Citadel before being finally conquered by the Muslims. The Citadel of Erbil consists of three main quarters: Topkhana, Saray, and Taki, with a total of 605 houses in the areas. Picturesque view from the upper floors of the opposite shopping center. As of June 2024 the Citadel was still undergoing restoration. Construction and excavation make the views much less picturesque, and mosques were closed.

Grand Mosque. Erbil's historic central mosque, still open despite renovations on the Citadel.

Kurdish Textile Museum. Small museum that displays textiles produced in Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as traditional clothing and other artifacts. Located in a restored early-twentieth century traditional house.

Mudhafaria Minaret. The 36 m high Mudhafaria Minaret dates back to the late 12th century AD and the reign of Erbil king Muzaffar Al-Din Abu Sa’eed Al-Kawkaboori. It has an octagonal base decorated with two tiers of niches, which is separated from the main shaft by a small balcony, also decorated. Another historical minaret with turquoise glazed tiles is nearby.

Qaysari Market. Erbil's historic covered bazaar, built out of vaulted yellow brick. It is similar to many others found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, but with less tourism than most. Market stalls sell everything from cheap toys and pirated DVDs to bulk spices to fine jewelry and carpets.

Jalil Khayat Mosque. The largest mosque in Erbil, named after Jalil Khayat who took the initiative for construction, but passed away in 2005 before it could be completed. His sons finished the project in 2007. The mosque architecturally resembles the style of the Mosque of Muhammad Ali in Cairo, and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. It is widely regarded as having one of the most beautiful interiors. It relies on a combination of Islamic architecture and al-Abbasi design, except for the domes which are of Ottoman design. Standing 48 m tall, the main dome with a diameter of 20 m dominates the mosque. It is surrounded by 4 half domes and 12 quarter domes. With an area of 15 000 m², the mosque has a capacity of 1 500 to 2 000 visitors.

Mohamed Jolly Mosque. Mosque built in 1884.

St. Joseph's Cathedral. Constructed from 1978 to 1981 with labour from volunteers, the church was designed in a distinctive Babylonian style including a main gate modelled after the Ishtar Gate. It includes a large yard and expansive gardens.

Xanzad Castle. A still intact castle built by Mir Xanzad, ruler of the Soran Emirate in the late 16th or early 17th century.

Erbil Civilization Museum. Small archaeological museum run by the Erbil Governorate.The Erbil Civilization Museum is in the city center opposite the City Hall. It is divided into three historical sections. Antiques are exhibited according to eras starting from ancient periods until advanced ages. The origin of some exhibits goes back to 5000 BC and reflects the patterns and ways of life in Kurdistan and Iraq. A rich library is adjacent to the museum. It is considered among the most prestigious and historical libraries of the city

Mound of Qalich Agha. An excavation here in 1996 found tools from the Halaf, Ubaid and Uruk periods. On the grounds of Erbil Civilization Museum.

Shanidar Park. Shanidar park feats an aerial cable car connecting with Minaret Park.

Sami Abdulrahman Park. Abdulrahman Park is Erbil's newly-constructed central park, spanning hectares at the edge of the city. It includes gardens, a jogging track, and ample walking paths, is mostly well-lit at night, and is a popular local gathering spot on weekends and evening.

Do

Stroll around in the deserted city inside the citadel in the centre of Erbil. Hundreds of houses that appears to have been abandoned in a hurry. Walk into the court yards, sleeping rooms and bed rooms or up to the rooftop terraces to enjoy a spectacular panorama of Erbil or ponder what life might have been in this place before the inhabitants were repopulated. In season, see the Erbil SC football team play a match at Franso Hariri Stadium, south of the city center. Erbil SC is a regular winner in the Iraqi Premiere League, runner-up in the Asian Football Cup, and beloved by many locals. Explore Erbil's nascent local art scene at the Shanadar Gallery, in Shandar Park, then take in Kurdish, Arab, and Persian music at one of the many restaurants/show venues in the city.

Erbil Marathon. Annual marathon organized since 2011, with departure and finish line in the Sami Abdulrahman Park. In addition to the full 42 km marathon, there are also 10 km and 5 km tracks.

Buy

Quayseri Market. In addition to sightseeing, Erbil's historic bazaar provides good opportunities to haggle for carpets, jewellery, traditional Kurdish clothing, and other handicrafts.

Majidi Mall. A large, Western-style shopping mall opened in November 2009, with stores such as Mango, Adidas and Levis as well as Turkish and Gulf brands. Also has a very large hypermarket in the basement of the mall, and a food court at the top.

Family Mall. The largest shopping mall in Erbil (and one of the largest in Iraq) with predominantly American, European, and Turkish clothing labels and other stores. Includes a movie theater and food court

Royal Mall. The most centrally located of Erbil's large, Western-style shopping malls. Includes a popular food court as well as clothing stores

Tablo Mall. Tablo Mall is one of the famous malls in Erbil City, it has 270 shops, a hypermarket, games hall for children, furniture shops and many cafeterias.

Grand Majidi Mall. Grand Majidi Mall is a new mall, and it is very popular for tourists, and it has many famous brands.

Erbil Avenue. Erbil Avenue is a very new mall, completed in December 2025. It doesn’t really have anything to shop, however it has a paintball arena, a padel court, and famous restaurants such as EL&N London and Street Burger Gordon Ramsay.

Eat

Many good restaurants exist in Erbil. However, the vast majority serve kebabs and chicken, with some Lebanese and Turkish restaurants. Options for foreign food are limited. Most restaurants, except those in high-end hotels, do not serve alcohol or accept credit cards.

Iskan Street. Popular street lined with cheap Kurdish and Turkish kebab shops, as well as one of the center of (male) social gathering. Kebabs are usually served with a soup, bread, and assortment of pickled vegetables.

Abu Afif. Erbil's most famous bakery and confectionery, and stems out of an equally famous Baghdad bakery that has been open since 1973.

Second Cup. Among the best places in Erbil for European-style espresso drinks. Also offers light sandwiches and an attractive space.

Sandwich shops. Shops near the Quayseri Market offer a cheap, quick lunch of kebabs and bread.

Abu Shahab. An iconic (and physically sprawling) Erbil restaurant serving standard Kurdish cuisine (salads, soups, and meat-based entrees), as well as a popular spot for local celebrities.

Tarin Restaurant. Features fairly typical, heavy Kurdish restaurant cuisine, with live music (Arab, Kurdish, and Turkish) and an attractive outdoor garden. Serves alcohol.

Zahle. Serves Lebanese mezzo and meats, in a more intimate environment than most Erbil restaurants and with attentive service. Serves alcohol.

O'Caffee. Good Italian cuisine, including oven-baked pizzas, good pasta dishes, and Western-style salad. Also has one of Erbil's better espresso bars

Kebab Yasin (Main). Good Middle Eastern, halal, excellent kebabs.

Dawa 2. Particularly good local restaurant serving meat kebabs. All freshly prepared, often in front of you. This is a large modern and clean place. Have a look at the 'rogues' gallery of well known people that have dined at the restaurant.

Qi 21. Erbil's only sushi bar, at the top of the Divan Hotel with panoramic views of the city. Prices are astronomical, but the sushi is good. This is a place to see and be seen, and attracts a wide range of celebrities and politicians. Serves alcohol.

Divan Erbil Seasons Restaurant. Buffet.

Greek Grill. Despite the name, is a steakhouse with Mediterranean accents rather than a proper Greek restaurant. The food is good, however, and prices are more reasonable than other high-end hotel restaurants. Serves alcohol.

Marina Restaurant (Ankawa 108, Near Ankawa Mall). It is a very nice restaurant, however expensive. Also has concerts.

Drink

You can buy a wide variety of beer, wine and liquor at pretty reasonable prices in Ainkawa, the Christian suburb of Irbil. Just look for any of the local liquor stores. Remember that Erbil is a predominantly Muslim city: drinking in public is unacceptable and public drunkenness is frowned upon.

In addition, the bars at the major luxury hotels (such as the Divan and the Rotana) are popular gathering spots.

Deutscher Hof. For German draught beer and food. Features dancing and Western music on weekend evenings.

Mamounia Sky Bar. Cocktails, wine and beer, and dancing at the top of the Noble Hotel.

T Bar Sports Lounge and Grill. American-style sports bar and lounge. Features plasma TVs with international sports.

Sleep

Hotels below main gate to the Citadel. One of the cheapest options in town. Numerous other hotels exist in this area or just west of it.

Altin Saray. With a little restaurant on site.

Merci Hotel. Little cookies and things for breakfast.

Montana Hotel. Very basic, not all rooms with windows, but AC.

Erbil International Hotel. Nicknamed "The Sheraton". Erbil's oldest high-end hotel, built in 2004, and centrally located. There are several relatively good restaurants in the hotel (including East Asian and Indian food).

Ankawa Palace Hotel. It is nice and clean, the staff is very helpful.

Classy Hotel. Business-oriented hotel in Ankawa, popular with international travellers.

Erbil Arjaan by Rotana (Peshawa Qazi Street, near Sky Towers and Defermo Restaurant). A 4 Star Hotel by Rotana, pretty nice and clean.

Hotel Divan. Major luxury hotel with several restaurants, popular bars and lounges, a duty-free shop, and large gym and pool. Along with the Rotana, a center of the high-society social scene. Higher security than in other hotels.

Erbil Rotana. Major luxury with spa and outdoor swimming pool, plus popular bars and restaurants. Along with the Rotana, a center of Erbil's high-society social scene. Security is tighter than in other hotels.