VISIT THE NEW IRAQ (continued, part 5) In the heart of Sulaymaniyah is a huge bazaar, whose size is about 1,5 km in diameter. Market is full of crowds, endless rows of stalls and old men who sit, expecting something, and fingering prayer beads. While I was walking through the market and photographed me with suspicion watched soldiers from the military patrols. I several times had to show them their papers. Sulaymaniyah was not so "Western" town, as I had imagined, although Iraqi standards, he certainly is at the forefront of development. Throughout the city built new houses, hotels, amusement parks and shopping centers. I must admit I was a little shocked when he learned that the long bangs in the style of "emo" is quite popular among the Kurdish guys. I even saw one guy on roller skates. Kurdish classic. Men and a rosary in my final destination in Kurdistan was the city of Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Along with Damascus, Aleppo and Jericho, Erbil is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, and the ancient city, which is located in the city walls of the Citadel, is the oldest inhabited settlement in the world. And local government has recently relocated all residents, except for one family to keep out of town this title. During my walk through an abandoned town, overlooking the Irbil, follow me closely watched by armed soldiers. As soon as I tried to change direction and turn into one of the lanes, they immediately prevented me to do it. View of the Citadel of Erbil Citadel is located right in front of a newly built shopping center, which adorns ads - NASDAQ: We are building the future. " The behavior of local residents, who photographed the escalators at the entrance to the center, you can guess what it all for them curious and new. On the appearance Trade Center was like their Western counterparts, however, was with him and some pretty serious differences: all the vendors were men, all buyers and onlookers - are also men, and in all parts sold only men's clothing. Also inside the store was an atmosphere of bazaar: heap counters, narrow path for consumers, small groups of boys and men smoking at the entrance to the store, selling something in the baskets. But all this is very interesting nonetheless! The market I went to one of the main streets of Erbil, and suddenly decided to turn into one of the lanes. I was immediately surrounded by curious kids. And again, at the request of children are turned into living a long photo session, to which I, frankly, had hoped. Several moms were hiding near the entrances to their homes, at first alarmed by my appearance. But as the excitement among the children grew, they were dirty little hands trying to touch my camera and shouting the few English words that have already learned, the mother decided it was their very small children to take part in photo shoots. They carried them out of their homes, pointing to the camera, simultaneously pushing aside older, excessively active children. When I finally managed to break free from the children's environment with the best shots that I managed to do in Iraq, a storm of emotions caught me. Mother and her baby that night I went to the biggest park of the city. There, locals gather in the evenings, women wear their brightest clothes, men - their best costumes. Vacationers are picnics on the grass, smoke hookah and stroll along the shore of the lake, which is in the middle of the park. Men who pay a little money, get the opportunity to ride on a motorboat to a small lake, where sites are barely enough to swim in it, without turning, 5 seconds, but it is obvious that this activity brings them great pleasure. I sat on a green terrace, a pleasant restaurant and watched the sunset and wandering people, sipping Russian beer. Probably not as you imagine Iraq? A small woman in Irbil his last day, I again took a taxi and went to him through the area with the most beautiful scenery in all of Iraq - Canyon Gali Ali Beg. Just a few hours we climbed to a height of almost 2 thousand meters above sea level. The air here is fresh and exciting species. By taxi I was riding along with two Iranians with whom I was on the road. When we got to the Iraqi-Iranian border, where the Westerners do not often fall, they helped me to cross the border and paid for my taxi in Iran, anticipating thus, the boundless hospitality, which will become an integral part of my travels in this country. But that's another story beginning of the material:
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