The Places

Boomtown Basra

Most of the products Munkith and Munthir Abbas sell were either illegal for ordinary Iraqis to own or too expensive for them to buy. Now, the twin brothers manage just one of many import shops that offer a range of electronic goods, from hand irons to satellite television receivers. “Whenever the people can buy, they…

Troubled Times – A Brief History Of Kurdistan

The unofficial country of Kurdistan occupies a region steeped in history; a history, that is, of bloody turmoil, occupation and assimilation. When the Medes (descended from the Aryans) first arrived in the region around 1000 B.C. the stage was set for a protracted and arduous battle for supremacy against the neighbouring Assyrians and Persians. For…