© 2011 Sabrina Swenson. All Rights Reserved.
Baghdad
April, 2025
My first trip to Iraq was in 2010. At the time, I explored the northern Kurdistan region, as venturing into the war-torn south was not a good idea. I finally made it to Baghdad and the surrounding area. Eight years after ISIS left, construction and renovation is underway everywhere you look but apparently is moving at a snail’s pace. The people could not have been kinder. Everyone I came in contact with was warm and hospitable, even upon hearing I was American! My favorite was seeing the stunning architecture of the Martyr’s Memorial. Designed by an Iraqi, it opened in 1983 as a memorial to Iraqis who perished in the Iran-Iraq war. Unfortunately, it was closed, and I was only able to see it at a distance, but it was simply stunning nonetheless.
