Official government bodies in Kirkuk do not follow any statistics of tourists and no attention paid to tourism sector despite the archeological sites in the northern province.
The tourist guide of Iraqi foreign ministry refers to Baba Gurgur gas flames and the Citadel as two touristic destinations to attract foreign tourists. The Kirkuk Citadel is located in the center of the city and it’s considered to be the oldest part of the city built in the 9th century by the Assyrians.
The local administration plans to boom the neglected sector. A meeting was held on February 8 for government local administrators to address the challenges in front of tourism sector in Kirkuk.
“The sector faces many obstacles and no attention paid to tourism by the government," Ja’afar Najim, in charge of tourism in Kirkuk under the Iraqi ministry of culture, said. He confirmed that there are no any figures about tourists in Kirkuk.
“Tourism sector is neglected in Kirkuk so we decided to take some steps to develop this sector," he added.
“Tourism sector is neglected in Kirkuk so we decided to take some steps to develop this sector," he added.
The strategy includes giving license to companies to operate in this sector and open some liquor stores.
Another ancient landmark in Kirkuk is Qishla of Kirkuk. the Qishla was built in the 19th century to be the headquarters of the Ottoman army in Kirkuk. The building is located in the city center. The word Qishla is a Turkish word means the place where the army stay at the winter.
The oil rich city of Kirkuk, located 238 kilometers north of Baghdad, is home for multiple ethnicities of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens and other ethnicities and religious minorities. It is one of the main disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil over its administration.
Water fall caused severe damage to Qishla archeological site in 2019. Photo by KirkukNow
About 200 companies are operating in tourism sector yet only four are licensed, tourism department manager added. The touristic sector portfolio in Kirkuk includes six restaurants, 86 cafes, eight public baths and a number of parks and playgrounds.
“It is important to advertise for Kirkuk Citadel as a tourist destination to attract tourists,” he added.
A tomb attributed to Daniel Prophet is located within the Kirkuk Citadel. Originally the site was a Jewish temple then later it was turned into a Church and finally into a mosque.
The political dispute over Kirkuk was an obstacle hindered its development and nourishment. Kurds wanted Kirkuk to become part of the Kurdistan Region which has been opposed by the Arab and Turkmen populations. In 2005, article 140 of Iraqi constitution asked for normalization of demography of Kirkuk to be followed by census and referendum over its control yet only part of the first stage of the three-stage road map implemented yet.
