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Leading UK travel publisher Bradt has abandoned its traditional genre with the publication of Iraq: Then And Now.
After record sales of Iraq: The Bradt Travel Guide, published in 2002, plans for an undated second edition were abandoned because the security situation made it impossible for foreigners to travel to Iraq.
But Bradt's American distributor received a lot of enquiries about Iraq as readers wanted to know about the country post-2003 even if it was not possible to visit for the time being.
The author's of the travel guide, veteran overland tour operator Geoff Hann and Karen Dabrowska, a free-lance journalist focusing on the Middle East and Islamic affairs were commissioned to write a guide to the country and its people rather than a travel guide in the strict sense of the word.
Coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the change, their new 320-page book, published in April 2008, provides a penetrating flash of insight into the history of Iraq from pre-Sumerian to post-Saddam times. The book self-consciously avoids making any judgment on the political debate surrounding the 2003 war and subsequent occupation; instead it presents the varying views, and offers a rounded, balanced picture.
"Above all we didn't want this to be a book written by westerners for westerners", Dabrowska told Islamic Tourism. "That's why we made a special effort to give the Iraqis a voice. We received many short contributions from people inside Iraq and these have been highlighted in a number of boxes interspersed throughout the text".
Although not a travel guide, the book provides essential information for visitors to the country with an appendix dedicated to travel written by Geoff Hann who led the one and only post 2003 trip into Iraq for Western tourists. He is also leading trips to Iraqi Kurdistan and the Kurdish regions of Turkey, Iran and Syria.
His eternal optimism and the triumph of hope over experience is reflected in the postscript. "Tourism in its many forms can be ready quickly if not immediately, once security is established. The clearing of the harbors around Basra is an invitation for cruise ships to stop and let their clients shop in the bazaars and make excursions to Ur, for example. Pilgrim traffic from the Gulf and Iran will grow immensely once shipping is made safer. Ancient Iraq, both north and south, offers endless opportunities for ancient and classical tours. Yes, there has been extensive looting, and yes much has been destroyed, some sadly for ever, but the major sites of Iraq are still extant. Much will need to be done of course, but all is not lost. The archaeological world is waiting for the opportunity to apply modern techniques to the established places and look for the lost sites of antiquity. The great Museum of Baghdad, once totally secure and aided by the world's art community, will become a focus for all lovers of ancient history.
"We have so much to look forward to. This is not only Iraq's heritage, but the heritage of mankind and it will be preserved. The mountains of Kurdistan Iraq beckon the adventurous. Side by side with these developments is the opportunity to rebuild the hotels and restaurants, and small farmers will also develop their own accommodation markets. Tourism employs large numbers throughout the world, and for a few years a boom in building, allied industries and of course labour will take place.
"I personally believe that we should all have courage, hold our collective nerves, look for the good news and continue to strive for progress. The future is bright for Iraq - the people are brave, courageous and willing to work hard if they can see a future that is more than mere survival. They have a wonderful heritage that we all share", Hann concludes.
Chapter 13 Archaeological Sites describes the noble efforts to save the cradle of civilisation from an early grave following the post-war looting. A section on the A-Z of archaeological sites provides detailed descriptions of the main sites: Agargouf, Babylon, Ashur, Borsippa, Ctesiphon, Erbil, Eridu, Khorsabad, Hatra, Kish, Larsa, Lagash, Nimrud, Nineveh, Nippur, Al'Ukhaidir, Tell Harmal, Ur and Uruk.
Iraqi archaeologist Joanne Farchakh explains why the people are looting their own heritage: "Iraq's rural societies are very different to our own. Their concept of ancient civilisations and heritage does not match the standards set by our own scholars. History is limited to the stories and glories of your direct ancestors and your tribe. So for them, the ‘cradle of civilisation' is nothing more than desert land with ‘fields' of pottery that they have the right to take advantage of because, after all, they are the lords of the land and, as a result, the owners of its possessions. In the same way, if they had been able, these people would not have hesitated to take control of the oil fields, because this is ‘their land'. Because life in the desert is hard and because they have been ‘forgotten' by all the governments, their ‘revenge' for this reality is to monitor, and take, every single money-making opportunity. A cylinder seal, a sculpture or a cuneiform tablet earns $50 (£25), and that's half the monthly salary of an average government employee in Iraq. The looters have been told by the traders that if an object is worth anything at all, it must have an inscription on it. In Iraq, the farmers consider their ‘looting' activities to be part of a normal working day.
Karen Dabrowska, who wrote the sections on post-Saddam Iraq, comments that there is light at the end of every tunnel - the light of the oncoming train! In February 2008 the first rail passenger service resumed with a service from Baghdad to Basra. The 310-mile (500-km) journey takes 12 hours because the line leaves a lot to be desired.
"Iraq's history may be blemished by conflict and bloodshed but during periods of serenity splendid civilizations have emerged. This is the land where writing began, where zero was introduced into mathematics, and where the tales of the One Thousand And One Nights were told", Dabrowska pointed out.
"I believe the Iraqi people will not allow those with the most powerful militias to win the battle for the soul of Iraq. Rather than cursing the darkness I hope this book will be a candle that sheds light on the Iraq of today and looks forward to a future of achievement, development and positive interaction between the peoples of Iraq and their brothers and sisters in the West".
To order a copy of Iraq: Then And Now please visit http://www.bradtguides.com/ or send an email to info@bradtguides.com
Contents
- (1) Preface
- (2) Chapter 1 Introduction
- (3) Chapter 2 The Ancient Kingdoms
- (4) Chapter 3 The Umayyads to the Ottomans
- (5) Chapter 5 Saddam's Iraq
- (6) Chapter 6 Life Under Sanctions
- (7) Chapter 7 The 2003 War 1
- (8) Chapter 8 Post-Saddam Iraq
- (9) Chapter 9 The North (Iraqi Kurdistan)
- (10) Chapter 10 Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle
- (11) Chapter 11 The South
- (12) Chapter 12 Culture
- (13) Chapter 13 Archaeological Sites
- (14) Chapter 14 Iraqis in Exile
- (15) Chapter 15 Postscript
- (16) Appendix 1 Travelling in Iraq
- (17) Appendix 2 Further Information
- (18) Bibliography
- (19) Index
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