(12 Jul 2024)
IRAQ SUMMER HEAT
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 2:43
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dohuk, Iraq – 4 July 2024
1. Various of people standing in lake
2. Various of group dancing in resort
3. People sitting in cafe
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Um Yassir, tourist from Baghdad:
"Well it is hot, but there is nature here, mountains and waterfalls. Baghdad has become crowded. I mean even the agricultural areas are now full of houses and buildings. Here it is all open spaces, everything is open."
5. Waterfall at resort
6. Various of people playing in the water
7. People dancing at resort
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdulla Omar, tourist from Baghdad:
"If you were to go abroad, you would need a lot of money, but it is cheap in Kurdistan. The rent on houses here is cheap if you stay for a couple of days, or even up to a month. It is all cheap. So people come here to Kurdistan rather than going to Turkey or Iran, which is expensive to do."
9. Natural waterfall in the area
10. Children playing in pond
11. Various of people sitting by water
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdulrahman Walid, tourism agency guide from Baghdad:
"The tourist areas here are very beautiful but they need more attention. I mean it needs to be developed and should not be left the way it is. It needs investment to make it bigger and wider and create places for families because while the area is large, this space is tight. People need to be comfortable, they have come from hot areas to cool down. So when the place is tight, people will really feel the humidity. So we hope they expand the place and give it some attention."
13. Man jumping into the lake at resort
14. People on pedal boats inside the lake
15. Natural waterfall near resort
16. Tourist buses and cars outside resorts
STORYLINE:
When the summer rolls around, Iraqis in Baghdad and the south turn to the cooler mountainous areas in the north to get some reprieve from the sweltering weather.
The severe heat is bringing business to resort areas in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in the north, where buses operated by travel companies are dropping off visitors.
The hot season in many parts of Iraq is synonymous with blistering heat, so these summer getaways offer a welcome escape.
Visitors can go for a swim to cool off or spend some time at cafes by the water, all while taking in the scenic waterfalls and landscape in the area.
Um Yassir, a tourist visiting from Baghdad, said she enjoys being able to spend time in nature, away from the crowded and cluttered spaces in the Iraqi capital.
Visitors’ favorite spots in the north include the Ashawa and Deralouk areas in Dohuk.
A seven-day trip can cost less than $100 on average per person, covering transportation, accommodation and breakfast.
It is a bargain compared to traveling abroad, said Abdulla Omar, another visitor from Baghdad.
"People come here to Kurdistan rather than going to Turkey or Iran, which is expensive to do," Omar added.
Temperatures in Baghdad and southern Iraq can regularly rise well above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) during the summer.
The Kurdish region has much milder summers by comparison, drawing Iraqis who are desperate to get away from the sizzling heat.
AP video shot by Rashid Yahya
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