Baghdad Things to Do

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Zawra Park in Karkh, the western half of the city, is another attractive destination in Baghdad. It’s located in Damascus Street.
You can find lots of amusements here:
children games, a zoo, exhibitions, a tourist’s map, an open-air theater, fountains, sculptures, lakes, coffee-shops, restaurants, sandwich kiosks, the Zawra Olympic Pool, the Zawra Tower ( a 54-meter tower with an Islamic dome with a round veranda under the dome that serves as an observation platform and yields a magnificent view of Baghdad).
On the top of the tower there is a level with a cafeteria and a level with a restaurant; the tower has an elevator.

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I remember approaching one of the numerous mosques in the capital and walking around it.
There are several old mosques in Baghdad known for their domes and minarets, magnificent arabesques, glazed-tile walls and superb calligraphy characteristic of the Islamic architecture.
Observing the interior of the mosque you can feel the air of the Islamic world and be proud of the honor. I myself have never dared to enter a mosque: was too young and inexperienced and prefered to stay away from any trouble.

There are very few Saddam portraits or murals left. These vainglorious images have been erased or defaced by the local populace as well as the Coalition Forces.

This one was obviously smacked up by a Texan! I never have liked taggers but in this case it is warranted.

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Don't miss the opportunity of visiting the ancient city of Ur that has a magnificent three-level ziggurat (temple) built about four thousand years ago.
The whole structure is over 17 m high.
It used to be a sacred area.
To the east of the temple there is a huge pit. It was a vast cemetery dating back to 4,500 years ago. It contained hundreds of graves that were excavated and yielded lots of rare objects found in many museums now.

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Visiting Al-Tahrir Square is a must in the Iraqi capital.
This square is the center of the modern part of the city. Four main streets are connected to that square: Al-Joumhouriya Street
(Republic Street), Haaroun Al-Rashid Street, Saadoun StreetAbu-Nawas Street
(the kilometers-long Tigris embankment).

I remember visiting another city square:
Eagles Square.
This is where you can see another monument called the Eagles Monument.
As our guide explained, it was dedicated to the present generation of people striving for the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Arab Revolution.

Baghdad boasts of many well-preserved monuments of medieval architecture and buildings, among them mosques.
This is Al-Imam Al-Adham Mosque in Adhamia. It stands around one of the Islamic shrines.

Visiting the place named Qurna in the south of Iraq you will hear a legend saying that Qurna is the place where the Garden of Eden was located.
There is an old tree still called Adam's Tree.
There is/was a modern holiday home there.