Sulaymaniyah Governorate · Iraq
Sulaymaniyah travel guide
Sulaymaniyah is a city in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq, home to about 878,000 people.
- Best months
- April, May and October
- Nearest airport
- ISU11 km · Jalal Talabani International Airport
- Currency
- IQDIraqi dinar
- Time zone
- Asia/Baghdad
- Language
- Arabic, Kurdish language
About
About Sulaymaniyah
Sulaymaniyah (Arabic: السليمانية, romanized: as-Sulaymāniyyah) or Slemani (Kurdish: سلێمانی, romanized: Silêmanî), is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is the capital of the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. It is surrounded by the Azmar, Goizha and Qaiwan Mountains in the northeast, Baranan Mountain in the south and the Tasluja Hills in the west.
Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Sulaymaniyah
See
Sulaimaniya has a great view from outside, above the mountains around it (Goizha, Azmar, Piramagrwn and Baranan). The city is in the phase of transition from a usual city to a tourism city in every sense of the word.
- Sulaymaniyah Museum
- Amna Suraka Museum
- Kurd's Heritage Museum
- Zamwa Gallery
- Aram Gallery
- Azadi Park
Do
- Chavy Land
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Sulaymaniyah to stay in
Sulaimaniya has some fine international standard hotels with all the expected facilities.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Sulaymaniyah
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Sulaymaniyah are April, May and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 39 °C; March is the wettest, with about 70 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Sulaymaniyah: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Jalal Talabani International Airport (ISU), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kirkuk International Airport (KIK, 99 km) and Sanandaj Airport (SDG, 147 km) are also within reach.
ISU · Jalal Talabani International Airport
KIK · Kirkuk International Airport
SDG · Sanandaj Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Sulaymaniyah
Drink
Alcohol is not very hard to find, with many restaurants serving it and bars at the hotels. Spirits such as vodka are popular.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Sulaymaniyah: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Sulaymaniyah?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Sulaymaniyah are April, May and October. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 39 °C; March is the wettest, with about 70 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Sulaymaniyah?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Jalal Talabani International Airport (ISU), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kirkuk International Airport (KIK, 99 km) and Sanandaj Airport (SDG, 147 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Sulaymaniyah?
Iraqi dinar (IQD).
Nearby
Destinations near Sulaymaniyah
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.