New York Aug 26, 2023 Note: As mentioned in the post Cradle of Civilization III, I had to wait until I got home to write the story of Enheduanna. I took all the photos at the She Who Wrote exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum. The translations of cuneiform are taken from Black, J.A., … More Princess, Priestess & First Known Author
Mosul, Iraq June 24, 2023 Taken over by ISIS on June 10, 2014, Mosul was liberated after more than three long years on July 21 2017 by allied forces of the Iraqi, Peshmerga and foreign troops. The ravages wrought by ISIS still remain, a stark reminder of the horrors of those years. Their brutal occupation … More From the Ravages of War
Qaragosh, Kurdistan June 22, 2023 From glory days of a powerful empire to the ignominy of present day is the tale of the peoples who claim descent from the Assyrians. They converted to Christianity in the early days of the religion and have a long and bitter history of persecution. Quite by chance, in chatting … More Where Have the Assyrians Gone?
Mosul, Iraq June 20, 2023 Having slowly made my way north, it is no surprise that I wanted to see the sites of the Assyrian empire – at least the ones not destroyed by ISIS. Nimrud I had read was flattened as were large parts of Nineveh. Ashur and Hatra (of the later age of … More Glory Days of Nineveh
Kifrki, Kurdistan June 19, 2023 Undaunted by our traipse over what most would call dirt hills, Lynne was game for yet more spots off the tourist trail. I had read about the Halamata Cave, especially the Assyrian bas-relief carvings dating from Sennacherib, son of Sargon II that are still in place on the sheer face … More In Search of Elusive Sculptures
Khorsabad, Iraq June 19, 2023 I had met Lynne in the transit lounge at the airport, waiting on my flight to Baghdad almost a month ago. We jabbered the entire flight and stayed in touch. Lynne lives and works in Mosul and was a willing partner-in-crime to my odd notions of places to visit. It … More Dar Sharrukin
Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan June 18,2023 Leaving Erbil, soon the road winds through the hills as I approach Sulaymaniyah. On either side of the road are fields. Some have been harvested and some are lush with crop. The Saray Square, probably an old caravanserai, both from its name and the typical layout is locked as I peer … More In Sulaymaniyah
Baghdad, Iraq June 14, 2023 Having traveled in the neighboring countries before, I knew well the hospitality of the people in this part of the world. I have tales aplenty in Iran, in Turkey and in Central Asia where I have been befriended, helped and invited home. In Iraq it was the degree of … More Kindness of Strangers
The foods in restaurants and on the streets
Nasiriya, Iraq June 10, 2023 Iraq has no buses between its cities, nor bus routes within its cities. Between cities the options are shared vans seating seven passengers or shared taxis taking four. They all leave from a station(s) called “garage” and have no fixed departure times, but leave when full. I had been traveling … More Train Travel in Iraq
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 