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Iraq in the past: 35 old photos

  • Updated on December 10, 2023

▶ Destinations ▶ Iraq
 

Archives photos of Iraq

I don’t know about you, but I love immersing myself in the ancient times of the countries I visit and travelling through their history to feel the soul that animated the Old World and understand their past so as to better grasp their present.

In this article, I share with you my selection of old photographs of Iraq, from various sources, from the cities of Baghdad – Samarra – Sinjar – Erbil – Karbala – Najaf – Mosul – Khorsabad – Lalish – Akre – Rawanduz and other places in Iraqi Kurdistan.

 

Old and rares Archives Photos of Iraq
35 Old photographs that shows you how Iraq looked like in the past time
 

 

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Archives photographs of Iraq:
  1. Baghdad
  2. Taq Kasra
  3. Ur
  4. Karbala
  5. Babylon
  6. Dur-Kurigalzu
  7. Najaf
  8. Khorsabad
  9. Erbil
  10. Al-Kifl
  11. Mosul
  12. Sinjar
  13. Samarra
  14. Iraqi Kurdistan

Baghdad

1. Baghdad | 1938

Old Photograph of Baghdad
Photo credit: Sven Hedin / Old photgraph of Bagdad | 1938

 

2. Baghdad | 1900s

Ancient photo of Baghdad 1900
Ancient photograph of Baghdad | 1900s

 

3. Baghdad | 1940s

Old photo of Baghdad
Children bathing with water buffalo in Baghdad | 1940s

 

4. Baghdad | 1920s

Iraqi Jews in Al Rasheed Street, Baghdad
Jewish Iraqis exchanging money on the famous Al-Rasheed street | 1920s

 

5. Baghdad | 1932

Old pic of Baghdad, Al Khadimiya Mosque
Al-Khadimiya Mosque | 1932

 

6. Baghdad | 1910s

Al-Khadimiya Mosque in 1910
Al-Khadimiya Mosque | 1910s

 

7. Baghdad | 1910s

Iraqi Jew Family in Baghdad
A Jewish family in Baghdad in the 1910s

 

8. Baghdad | 1940s

1940s photo of Baghdad
Young men in Baghdad in the 1940s

Taq Kasra

1. Ctesiphon Arch, Taq Kasra | 1950s

Taq Kasra Old pic
A shepherd and his flock in front of the ark of Ctesiphon | 1950s

Ur

1. Ziggurat of Ur | 1920

Old photo of Ur during excavations in 1920
Ur Ziggurat excavations | 1920

Karbala

1. Karbala | 1930s

Old photo of Karbala in Iraq
The entrance to the shrine of Imam Hussain in Karbala | 1930s

 

2. Karbala | 1934

Karbala in the past time
The entrance to the shrine of Imam Hussain in Karbala | 1934

 

3. Karbala | 1932

Old photo of Karbala Street
A street in Karbala | 1932

 

4. Karbala | Unknown date

Karbala Old city
Ancient photo of Karbala | ?

Babylon

1. Babylon | 1932

Old photograph of Babylon
A camel caravan in Babylon near the ancient ruins | 1932

Dur-Kurigalzu

1. Aqar Quf, Dur-Kurigalzu | 1915

Ancient photo Ziggurat of Iraq
Dur-Kurigalzu Ziggurat | 1915

Najaf

1. Najaf | 1910s

Old aerial view of Najaf
Aerial view of Najaf | 1910s

Khorsabad

1. Khorsabad | 1853

Old photo of Khorsabad Excavation
Excavation of the citadel of Sargon II and two large statues of Lamassu in Khorasan, now on display at the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad | 1853

 

2. Khorsabad | 1933

Archive photo of archeological site in Iraq
Rediscovery and excavation of the citadel of Sargon II | 1933

 

3. Khorsabad | 1933

Archives photos of Iraq
Excavation of the citadel of Sargon II | 1933

 

4. Khorsabad

Iraq in the ancient time
Excavation of the citadel of Sargon II

Erbil

1. Erbil | 1940s

Old photo of a street in Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan
An old photograph of a street in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan and one of the oldest cities in the world | 1940s

 

2. Erbil | 1938

An old photo of Erbil in 1938
A photograph of Erbil and the entrance to the citadel | 1938

 

3. Erbil | 1950

Old aerial photo of Erbil
Aerial photo of Erbil | 1950

Al-Kifl

1. Ezekiel’s Tomb | 1932

Old photo of Al-Kifl in Iraq
Iraqi Jews at the tomb of Ezekiel in Al-Kifl | 1932

Mosul

1. Mosul | 1890s

A bookbinding workshop in Mosul
A bookbinding workshop in Mosul | 1890s

 

2. Mosul | 1932

Ancient and rare photo of Mosul
The emblematic leaning Al-Hadaba minaret of the Al-Nuri mosque in Mosul | 1932

Sinjar

1. Sinjar | 1950s

Old Yazidi photograph in Sinjar, Iraq
Yazidi wedding in Sinjar | 1950s

 

2. Sinjar | 1950s

Old Yazidi portrait in Iraq
A young Yezidi woman in Sinjar | 1950s

Samarra

1. Samarra | Unknown date

Aerial view of Samarra
Aerial view of Samarra

 

2. Samarra | Unknown date

Old photo of Samarra
The Great Mosque of Samarra

Iraqi Kurdistan

1. Koi | 1920

Old photo of Christian peoples in Iraqi Kurdistan
Kurdish Christians in Koi, Iraqi Kurdistan | 1920

 

2. Akre | 1900s

Akre in the ancient times
An old photograph of the village of Akre | 1900s

 

3. Rawanduz | 1918

Old and rare photo of Iraqi Kurdistan
An old photo of Rawanduz, almost indiscernible | 1918

 

4. Sulaymaniya | 1950

Kurdish womans in traditionnal clothes
Kurdish women in traditional dress in Sulaymaniya | 1950

 

5. Lalish | 1951

old archival photograph of Yazidis in Lalish in Iraq
Worshippers in Lalish, the holy city of Yezidism | 1951

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About the author

Picture of Tom Spirit
Tom Spirit
Hey, it's Tom! Welcolme to Spirit Travelers. I'm a nomad traveler for several years and I share my experiences by publishing content and travel guides on this blog. Find some of the most popular countries to visit but also off the beaten track destinations.

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