Iraq…Mesopotamia & the Jewels of Assyria
October 25 - November 08, 2023
Led by Dr. Barbara Porter Archaeologist and Former Director of ACOR Jordan

Mesopotamia—the land between the great rivers Tigris and Euphrates—was the home to the world’s earliest civilization. To walk on such sites as Eridu, Uruk, Ur of the Chaldees and Babylon is to trace the history of the first cultures to build cities, invent writing, develop the wheel, and to rule the known world. Some have claimed that the Garden of Eden was located in Iraq, and biblical history touches this land too. When it became an independent country in 1932, Iraq had been home to ancient Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria, and had been conquered by Persians, the Macedonian army of Alexander the Great, the armies of the Islamic conquest, the Mongol hordes, and the Ottoman empire of Turkey. At many points in its history, Iraq could be said to have been at the center of the civilized world, and you will see elements of this ancient history along with remnants of more recent times, including the regime of Saddam Hussein and the Coalition occupation. For the first time in our history selling tours to Iraq, we are now pleased to visit sites that we have never been able to see before .. the Assyrian ancient cities of the north: Nimrud, Nineveh, Hatra, and Khorsabad. With many of them having suffered heavily under the occupation of ISIS the last few years, and now that ISIS has been mostly pushed out of this region, there are multiple international projects focusing on restoring part of the glory of those ruins.

Can be combined with Kurdistan tour (November 07 - November 16, 2023)

Trip Grade:
II Active: Some hikes, slightly more demanding walks at or to sites, few elevations, comfortable but busy schedule and some long rides and extensive drives.

LODGING Level:
*** Superior Lodges and hotels with additional amenities, refined service and comfort level acceptable to western standards. (3 or 4 stars)

**** Luxury: Regular style- usually large- hotels, typical western standard with ample venues, and full amenities. (4 or 5 stars)

Special Trip Remarks:
The US Department of State has warnings for travel to Iraq and by joining this trip; you are accepting and admitting awareness to such warnings. Please visit their web site at www.travel.state.gov/travel

Iraq offers no frills such as super highways and comfortable roads but you will be immersed in Mesopotamia and its sites and the historical value is stunning. The trip will be faced with a big number of check points (daily between a couple of them up to possibly 5 or 6); some will be quick ones and others will entail up to an hour wait, hence absolute patience is paramount, and questioning or complaining about such conditions will not be appreciated!

Accommodations have developed and improved a lot in the last years and now “most of the hotels we use are very comfortable and pleasant. You also must understand that our guides cannot compare to the “classical” definition of guides in the well-touristy places like Europe or Egypt and Morocco, they act mostly as tour managers and coordinators as the country does NOT have any official and licensed expert guides in the real sense of the word.

Amazingly internet is available almost everywhere in Iraq but service can be very frustrating, sporadic, slow, and interrupted, same like their electric service, which will be cut multiple times a day for a few minutes at a time.

Everyone joining must be in good state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure. Please note that although this trip is not necessarily physically demanding by way of exertion, the remoteness of some sites, the back roads we sometimes have to take, the delays, the security arrangements, the sudden changes in itinerary or hotels due to unforeseen conditions and sometimes even the heat, can take its toll and participants must be open-minded and prepared for all eventualities.

Southern Iraq is comparatively very safe and we do not anticipate any security problems or concerns though we reserve the right to alter the program or change the routing or sequence of visits depending on any unforeseen events.

Trip includes the area north of Baghdad covering the ancient ruins of Assyria: Nineveh, Khorasabad, Hatra and Nimrud all the region that was under ISIS occupation for many years and now liberated. We still monitor any security issues around and if there is any need to alter the itinerary, whether for security concerns or because of difficulty accessing the sites, Spiekermann Travel reserves the right to make any changes on the itinerary If needed.