Zakho city is located in the Duhok governorate just a few kilometers away from the Iraqi- Turkish border and with about 260,000 inhabitants.
Zakho city is located in the Duhok governorate just a few kilometers away from the Iraqi- Turkish border and with about 260,000 inhabitants. Zakho city may have been originally established on a small island in the little Khabur River which currently flows through the city. The river itself flows west of Zakho to form the border between Iraq and Turkey. This border represents the largest land border in the Kurdistan region and become now an important check point through which hundreds of thousands of trucks pass every year. Due to its strategic location and the abundance of job opportunities, Zakho has attracted many workers and job seekers from different parts of Iraq and even from Syria and Turkey. The town itself has lots of shops and commerce activities and is a major market place for commodities and merchandise serving not only the Kurdistan region, but also most of the middle and southern parts of Iraq.
The town of Zakho was known to the ancient Greeks. In 1844, the traveler William Francis Ainsworth commented: «The appearance of Zakhu in the present day coincides in a remarkable manner with what it was described to be in the time of Xenophon.» Gertrude Bell, an important British archaeologist, was convinced that Zakho was the same place as the ancient town of Hasaniyeh. She also reported that the first Christian missionary to the region, the Dominican monk Poldo Soldini, was buried there in 1779. His grave was still a pilgrimage destination in the 1950s.
One of Zakho’s famous landmarks is the “Delal Bridge”. The bridge is made with large stones which not only adds to the aesthetic value of the bridge, but also makes it a source of many theories as to how it was built. The stones are very large and there was no machinery available at that time.
Zakho castle is another landmark that lies in the city center on the western bank of the Khabur River. It served as the governor’s house in the region of the Bahdinan Emirate and was extended by Prince Ali Khan. It was built on the ruins of an older castle. Today, only the tower remains.
Zakho is the border town between Iraq and Turkey, where a huge border complex was constructed in Ibrahim Khalil, which is a suburb north to Zakho. Due to its strategic location and the abundance of job opportunities, Zakho has attracted many workers and job seekers from different parts of Iraq and even from Syria and Turkey. Zakho has around 90,000 habitants and the town itself has lots of shops and commerce activities so expect lots of trucks and taxis. Zakho has served as a checkpoint for many decades. It is a major market place with its goods and merchandise serving not only in the Kurdistan region, but also serving most of the middle and southern parts of Iraq. Campanile (1818) described the town as a great trading centre, famous for its gallnuts as well as rice, oil, sesame, wax, lentils and many fruits. Zakho is located just 20km from the Turkish town Silopi, so lots of Turkish trucks come with export good to provide Kurdish region with everything one can imagine. Trade with Turkey is now the major element of the economy. Oil-drilling began in 2005. There is the Delal Bridge over the Habur River and an amusement park that are somehow worth a visit if you’re willing to stay overnight and spend a couple of hours in this tiny border town.
Sharanish waterfall is located within a beautiful location.
Bahiri Cave lies about 45 kilometers east of Zakho and 5 kilometers from the Sharanish resort. The large cave is easily accessible for visitors who can also visit the nearby Qasrok and Dashta Tkhi parks, which are popular with visitors during spring.
It is one of the most beautiful resorts on 30 kilometers from Zakho. km. away from the city centre near the Turkish border. The place has charming views, green valleys, water streams, many springs and walnut trees. The temperature is (25°C) during summertime. It is expected that a tourist hotel, restaurants and kiosks are built for tourists.
