Sacred Destinations
A richly illustrated guide to the world's sacred places,
sacred art, religious architecture and historic religious sites.

See our Iraq Map for a much larger map with cities and attractions marked.

Iraq


Best known in the last few decades for its political and religious conflict, the Middle Eastern country of Iraq was once home to the greatest and most stable civilizations on the planet. Beginning with the Sumerians in the 6th millennium BC, the ancient civilizations of Iraq produced some of the earliest writing, literature, sciences, mathematics, laws, and philosophies of the world; the region is often referred to as the "Cradle of Civilization".

Today, Iraq is a Muslim country with a slight Shi'ite majority (60-65 percent). Most of its notable sacred sites are Shia shrines, which mark the tombs of imams and martyrs and glitter with silver and gold. Despite ongoing conflict, the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala remain the most popular pilgrimage destinations for Shia Muslims after Mecca and Medina.


Iraq Guide

English Name: Iraq
Local Name: Al Iraq (Jumhuriyat al-Iraq)
Time Zone:UTC+3
Calling Code:964
Currency:Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Area:438,317 sq km
Population:28,945,657 (July 2009 est.)
Languages:Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Turkoman (a Turkish dialect), Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian
Religions:Shia Muslim 60%-65%, Sunni Muslim 32%-37%, Christian or other 3%
Browse our illustrated index of sacred sites and religious places
A detailed interactive map of Iraq with major cities and religious sites marked, plus links to travel maps and more
A hand-selected gallery of books on Iraq specially chosen for Sacred Destinations readers


Featured Destinations in Iraq (List All Destinations)

Karbala
Karbala
The Shia holy city of Karbala is home to the glittering shrines of Imam Husayn and Imama Abbas.


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Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
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