Culture of Baghdad. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Baghdad offers its guests a huge choice of attractions. You can visit some of the numerous religious and historical sights, as well as interesting museums. Many tourists start their sightseeing with a visit to the Abbasid Palace located in the very heart of the city. This is a striking medieval monument erected at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. Unlike many other palaces of this period, it was never intended for defensive purposes. According to one of the versions, the magnificent palace was originally built as a madrasah, and later became used as a royal residence.

The palace got a luxurious interior design. The rarest and most expensive materials were used for its construction and decoration. Many elements of its medieval decoration have survived intact to this day, and gorgeous mosaics made of colored marble are a great example. You can also notice incredibly beautiful elements of gilded bronze and glass, as well as large antique mirrors. The legend has it that a magnificent tree made of gold and silver and decorated with diamonds stood in the palace hundreds of years ago. Today, almost all of its halls are available for tours. Most of them present collections of artworks from various periods.

The most visited museum in town is The National Museum of Iraq. Among its interesting features is not only the variety of unique exhibits but also the fact that this museum was founded by a woman. Its founder is Gertrude Bell, an English political officer, famous traveler and archaeologist. She organized many expeditions to various regions of Mesopotamia. All artifacts discovered during her research were transferred to the museum. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Hundreds of priceless exhibits are currently displayed in 20 galleries. During the war period, the museum lost many valuable exhibits. Fortunately, when the war ended, it was possible to return many of them. Of great interest are ancient jewelry and precious accessories, old sculptures and works of art, household items, and religious artifacts of the past.

Among Baghdad's most remarkable religious monuments is the Chhota Sona Mosque. Its domes and minarets are decorated with gilding, so the mosque is often called "golden" by city residents and tourists. The mosque looks really impressive on a sunny day and features rich interior decoration. Its interior walls are adorned with hand-made tiles on which quotes from the Koran are written. Gilding was also used in its interior, and mirror stalactites are considered the most unusual decoration. Only adherents of the Muslim faith are allowed to get inside and admire the beauty of the mosque's interior. All the rest can enjoy its original exterior appearance.

In the immediate vicinity of Baghdad, you can explore several unique archaeological areas with tours. Besides legendary Babylon, you will have the opportunity to see the ruins of the ancient city of Hatra where many ancient artifacts were discovered by modern researchers. The city was founded in the prehistoric era and existed for over a thousand years. It was completely destroyed and abandoned in the middle of the 3rd century AD. However, luckily for us, many ancient buildings have been well preserved to this day. You’ll have a chance to see fragments of old temples and palaces. During its heyday, the city was a major religious center. It was possible to restore many ancient buildings during the research. Be sure local guides will tell you a lot of surprising facts about the ancient city.

Among the unique monuments of Baghdad, it is worth highlighting the Al-Askari Mosque that dates back to the middle of the 10th century. The ancient mosque suffered from terrorist attacks during the war. In the post-war period, it was restored in maximum accordance with its historical appearance. In 2007, the ancient mosque featuring rich interior decoration was recognized as a religious site of world significance. As with many other mosques, only Muslims can get inside. Non-Muslim tourists can only admire the dazzling brilliance of the gilded dome.

An important historical monument for the city is the Al-Salam Palace that housed an American camp during the war. The area of the palace is about 93,000 square meters. It is currently occupied by one of the upscale hotels. Anyone can spend a night or several days here to appreciate the luxurious interior decoration.