Kirkuk Travel Guide

 
by miketranel
 
  •   Kirkuk
    by miketranel
  •   Kirkuk
    by miketranel
  •   Kirkuk
    by miketranel
  • I am so tired I can barely hold my head-up
      I am so tired I can barely hold my...
    by miketranel
  • The ROCK II also known as Ali Al Salam
      The ROCK II also known as Ali Al Salam
    by miketranel
 

Explore Kirkuk

Things to Do  

School Pride

School Pride, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Right outside one of the Iraqi schools, the teachers decided to paint a mural. Unfortunately they forgot to use spell check ; ) 

Operation Crayon continued...

Operation Crayon continued..., Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Couldn't resist posting one more picture inside from inside an Iraqi school. They kids seem to be having a blast! 

Street Urchins

Street Urchins, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  While convoys are travelling through Iraqi territory, they frequently encounter many children who aren't in school. They have a tendency to swarm around convoys if they stop looking for handouts.They're commonly referred to by military personnel as "Street Urchins". 

Operation Crayon

Operation Crayon, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Kirkuk Air Base has an operation called "Operation Crayon". It isn't exactly publicized by the mainstream media, but is publicized through other means. Donations are received from generous people in the USA. Donations are primarily clothes and school supplies.Volunteers at... 

Eternal Flame, pt 3

Eternal Flame, pt 3, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  As with all travel in Iraq (at least for now) it is highly encouraged to "tour" in groups.Oh, the flames also stink the place up. It wouldn't hurt to bring something to plug your nose... 

Eternal Flame, pt 2

Eternal Flame, pt 2, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  It's said that the flames cannot be extinguished. If you stomp one piece of flame out, another flame will rise nearby. 

Eternal Flame, pt 1

Eternal Flame, pt 1, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Not far from Kirkuk is the "Eternal Flame". It's a significant Christian and Muslim holy site. The flame is said to have been burning for over 2,500 years now. It's the flame referenced in the Book of Daniel, chapter 3: 

Ba'ath Headquarters pt 4

Ba'ath Headquarters pt 4, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Unfortunately some of the remaining factions aren't as friendly. This of course requires us to be a bit vigilant.Don't try this one at home ; ) 

Ba'ath Headquarters pt 3

Ba'ath Headquarters pt 3, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  What you see here are more remains of the headquarters.Recently the Kurds have been moving back into the area, after many years of SEVERE suppression. Needless to say, they're considered "friendlies" for the most part.You can't see it well in the picture, but even though... 

Restaurants  

The Kirkuk Chow Hall: Almost the only game in Town

The Kirkuk Chow Hall: Almost the only game in Town, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  As far as military chow halls go, the one here is about average. It is of course free. That's a great bonus ; ) The only other choices are MRE's (field rations, which come in handy if you can't or don't want to go to the chow hall), Burger King (Ugh!) or Pizza Hut (yes we... 

Nightlife  

Night life in a Combat Zone...

Night life in a Combat Zone..., Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  BOOM! No, that wasn't a loud DJ ; ) Sorry folks, no nightlife here... Full up "battle rattle". 

Transportation  

My new ride...

My new ride..., Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Kirkuk isn't all that big, but it sure doesn't hurt to have your own transportation. It's more convenient... Plus, my new ride happens to have functioning air conditioning and a stereo ; )There are buses on base as well.If you notice the flame in the background, it's natural... 

Germany to Kirkuk, the Military way...

Germany to Kirkuk, the Military way..., Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  I had a very long trip to Kirkuk. There was enough to write about it that I can't possible scale it down to the 2047 characters I'm limited to in this Tips section. So, the rest of this tip will be in my Travelogue entitled "Germany to Kirkuk, the Military way..."* If you... 

Local Customs  

Rules one must live by here

Rules one must live by here, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  GENERAL ORDER 1AThe purpose of General Order 1A is to identify conduct that is prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline of Air Force personnel assigned to or attached to duty with in the AOR. General Order 1A prohibits:a. Possession, manufacture,... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Choke, Cough...

Choke, Cough..., Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  In the part of Iraq I'm in we don't have a lot of sand. What we have is a lot of powder. The stuff is so fine that walking in it raises clouds of it. It gets everywhere. It's so fine in fact that the impact of rain on it raises it into the air. Instead of making the air... 

Time to change my underwear...

Time to change my underwear..., Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Now that the story's been in the European Stars and Stripes, I can say what happened to me the other day. As I was walking towards the chow hall I noticed some smoke. When I got a bit closer, there was a fairly loud explosion. I happened to be close enough to feel a bit of... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Random photo op turns out to be VERY interesting!

Random photo op turns out to be VERY interesting!, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  Found this interesting little burned/bombed out structure this morning and couldn't resist the opportunity to get a picture.Found out later what the test on the wall is. I was a bit surprised. Translating it literally: "Liberation is for us, and this point of view is the... 

My new backyard!

My new backyard!, Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  For those with a US Air Force background, the picture speaks for itself... For the rest of ya:Every US Air Force base housing has a monthly competition for the best yard of the month. Typically it comes with a day off, a designated parking spot for the month or another... 

Favorites  

Wait Til Later To Travel

Wait Til Later To Travel, Kirkuk

 ElectricSlide2005 Says:  I am deployed now and I would recommend waiting to travel here until things settle down more. Your choice. 

The endings aren't bad either ; )

The endings aren't bad either ; ), Kirkuk

 JAFA-Rease Says:  How can one appreciate a sunrise and not the accompanying sunset? I can't... 

The Place

Plan a Kirkuk vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Kirkuk locals

Experience Kirkuk
  •   29 Tips and Reviews
  •  73 Photos
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The People

 
Our Members Say
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 While I can't really get out to "enjoy" the countryside, I can appreciate some spectacular sunrises and sunsets! 

 

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Top 3 Kirkuk Writers

1

Living in Kirkuk from Sep 04 until Jan 05!

JAFA-Rease profile photo

  Kirkuk Regional Air Base (KRAB), Iraq I was stationed at Kirkuk for a little over four months. While there I was fortunate to be able to access VT. I just didn't have much time to... No... 

2

Iraq

Ericasmurf99 profile photo

 Unfortunetly I did not come here as a tourist, but because I had to do my job here. We were not allowed to leave the base, so the pictures you will see are all from the military base in Kirkuk. You'll... 

3

Kirkuk or Bust

miketranel profile photo

 Sunday, July 13 went to my last American event before I headed overseas - The Texas Rangers. I did not know it at the time, but the irony was written all over that game. It was hot, a long game and a... 

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