Hello

Hi everyone,

I am Hussein Ayoub and i am from Iraq. In this blog I am going to explain iraq's culture .

Enjoy it .

Geography of Iraq

Geography

Iraq, a triangle of mountains, desert, and fertile river valley, is bounded on the east by Iran, on the north by Turkey, on the west by Syria and Jordan, and on the south by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It is twice the size of Idaho. The country has arid desert land west of the Euphrates, a broad central valley between the Euphrates and the Tigris, and mountains in the northeast.

Iraq's History

Iraq's History

The land now known as Iraq has been called the Cradle of Civilization. The ancient Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians all developed great empires in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. At later times, it was ruled by the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, and the Ottoman Turks.
Under the Abbasid rulers (750-1258), Baghdad became a center of learning for the entire Muslim world. But the Mongols invaded the region in 1258, leading to its decline. The Ottoman Turks, after a long struggle, won Baghdad and the Tigris and Euphrates Valley from Persia in 1638. The region remained a part of the vast Ottoman Empire until the end of World War I, in 1918.


http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/iraqx2019s-culture-government-and-history

Flag of Iraq

The Iraqi flag

The flag of Iraq  includes the three equal horizontal red, white, and black stripes of the Arab Liberation Flag. This basic tricolor has been in use since 1963, with several changes to the green symbols in the central white stripe; the most recent version bears the Takbir rendered in green which means God is great.

The lion of Babylon

The lion of Babylon

The Lion of Babylon from a portion of the Ishtar Gate. The Lion of Babylon has remained a prominent symbol of Iraqi culture, a type of Iraqi battle tank was named after it.

Iraq's culture

Iraq has one of the world's oldest cultural histories. Iraq is where the Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations were, whose legacy went on to influence and shape the civilizations of the Old World. Culturally, Iraq has a very rich heritage. The country is known for its poets and its painters and sculptors are among the best in the Arab world, some of them being world-class. Iraq is known for producing fine handicrafts, including rugs and carpets. The architecture of Iraq is seen in the sprawling metropolis of Baghdad, where the construction is mostly new, with some islands of exquisite old buildings and compounds, and elsewhere in thousands of ancient and modern sites across Iraq.

Unlike many Arab countries, Iraq embraces and celebrates the achievements of its past in pre-Islamic times. What is now Iraq was once the Cradle of Civilization in Ancient Mesopotamia and the culture of Sumer, where writing and the wheel were invented. In the 8th and 9th centuries, the Islamic Abbasid Caliph's presided over what was then one of the world's richest civilizations.

http://www.wikipedia.org/

Soccer

Soccer

soccer is the most popular sport in Iraq. Soccer is a considerable uniting factor in Iraq, following years of war and unrest. Basketball, swimming, weightlifting, bodybuilding, boxing, kickboxing, and tennis are also popular sports.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh

It is an iraqi salad traditionally made of bulgur, tomato,and finely chopped parsley and mint, often including onion and garlic, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Traditionally served as part of a mezze in the Arab world, it was adopted by Cypriots, variations of it are made by Turks and Armenians, and it has become a popular ethnic food in the United States.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one of the Wonders that may have been purely legendary. They were purportedly built in the ancient city-state of Babylon, near present-day Al Hillah, Babil province, in Iraq. The Hanging Gardens were not the only World Wonder in Babylon; the city walls and obelisk attributed to Queen Semiramis were also featured in ancient lists of Wonders.

The gardens were attributed to the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled between 605 and 562 BC. He is reported to have constructed the gardens to please his homesick wife, Amytis of edia, who longed for the plants of her homeland.The gardens were said to have been destroyed by several earthquakes after the 2nd century BC.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are documented by ancient Greek and Roman writers, including Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, and Quintus Curtius Rufus. However, no cuneiform texts describing the Hanging Gardens are extant, and no definitive archaeological evidence concerning their whereabouts have been found.

Ancient writers describe the possible use of something similar to an Archimedes screw as a process of irrigating the terraced gardens. Estimates based on descriptions of the gardens in ancient sources say the Hanging Gardens would have required a minimum amount of 8,200 gallons (37,278 liter) of water per day. Nebuchadnezzar II is also reported to have used massive slabs of stone, a technique not otherwise attested in Babylon, to prevent the water from eroding the ground.

http://www.wikipedia.org/
A video :

Etiquette and Customs

Etiquette and Customs

Meeting People

• The most common greeting is the handshake coupled with eye contact and a smile.
• The standard Arabic/Islamic greeting is "asalaamu alaikum" ("peace be with you"), to which the response is "wa alaikum salaam" ("and peace be unto you").
• Good friends of the same sex may greet each other with a handshake and a kiss on each cheek, starting with the right.
• Expect to be introduced to each person individually at a small social function. At a large function, you may introduce yourself.

Gift Giving Etiquette

• If you are invited to an Iraqi’s home, bring a box of cookies, pastries or a box of chocolates. A fruit basket is also appreciated.
• Flowers are being given more and more but only to a hostess.
• If a man must give a gift to a woman, he should say that it is from his wife, mother, sister, or some other female relation.
• A small gift for the children is always a good touch.
• Gifts are given with two hands.
• Gifts are generally not opened when received.

Dining Etiquette
The culture of hospitality means Iraqis like to invite people to their homes. If you are invited to a home:

• Check to see if you should remove shoes.
• Dress conservatively and smartly.
• Do not discuss business.
• Iraqi table manners are relatively formal.
• If the meal is on the floor, sit cross-legged or kneel on one knee. Never let your feet touch the food mat.
• Use the right hand for eating and drinking.
• It is considered polite to leave some food on your plate when you have finished eating.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/iraq.html

Climate of Iraq

Climate

Most of Iraq has a hot arid climate with subtropical influence. Summer temperatures average above 40 °C (104 °F) for most of the country and frequently exceed 48 °C (118.4 °F). Winter temperatures infrequently exceed 21 °C (69.8 °F) with maximums roughly 15 to 19 °C (59 to 66.2 °F) and night-time lows 2 to 5 °C (35.6 to 41 °F). Typically precipitation is low; most places receive less than 250 mm (9.8 in) annually, with maximum rainfall occurring during the winter months. Rainfall during the summer is extremely rare, except in the far north of the country.