Did You Know

Interesting Facts about Iraq

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Iraq.

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16 curious facts about Iraq.

The ancient name for most of modern Iraq is Mesopotamia, a Greek word meaning “ and between two rivers” - the Euphrates and the Tigres. Most Iraqis still live in this region.
Iraq has two important winds. The eastern Sharki wind is hot and humid, while the northern Shamal wind brings welcome cooler air during summer weather.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, were built in Iraq by King Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) for his wife, Amytis, to dispel her homesickness for mountainous northern Persia (Iran).
The Ba'ath Party began as a group of young activists in the government who supported Arab nationalism and socialism.

Iraqis observe the death of a family member with a 40-day mourning period. Women and men wear black, and after sundown during the first seven days (the aza), they share their grief with visitors, drinking coffee and listening to recordings of the Koran or to someone hired to read it aloud.
Iraqis begin work early while temperatures are cool. People frequently take a nap after finishing work around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m.
Muslin, the name of a cloth, comes from the name of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which was one of the earliest exporters of cotton.
Eman Al-Rufei is an Iraqi chess grandmaster; she recently competed for Iraq in the World Chess Olympiad.
Iraqis use wildflowers such as chamomile to help sooth agitated nerves.
Around 4000 BC, the Sumerians were the first settlers in Iraq to cultivate land. They also used early calendars, invented the wheel and the first alphabet, and were among the first peoples to study mathematics and astronomy.