My weekend guide was the mayor, Mr. Warshin Taher, who really knows how to present his city. The topics of our many conversations were innumerable, but that's for another time. While other regions of the KRI suffer a bit from a lack of visitors, Amedi has exactly the opposite problem. The city and its surrounding areas are struggling with a rush of local tourists, hundreds of thousands of them a year.       

Let's take this in a little bit of order. On your way to Amedi, I recommend stopping at Anishke Cave (Touristic and archaeological cave / كهف اينشكي السياحي الاثري). It is not only a nice shelter from the hot Kurdish sun, but also provides the perfect place to relax in the restaurant that is in the cave.

Just outside the town of Amedi itself, you may be delayed for a while by the Sulav resort, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast in Italy. In this case, however, it's the foothills of the mountains, where endless local delicacies of all kinds and small shops with a variety of goods await you in the narrow streets. In the shade of the Sulav Bazaar you can spend another few dozen minutes sitting with a cup of tea.

Once you've mastered all the trappings of the local culture, where it's almost impossible to say no, you can decide whether to reach Amedi by car on the main road or on foot, following the 2,000-year-old steps leading from the valley to the town. It's quite a hike, where you experience a piece of history with every step. Then it's up to you how long you want to walk up Table Mountain. 

If time permits, stop at the Avasheen Gelye Sherane Resort. It's a bit of a detour in terms of getting back to Erbil or Duhok, but you won't regret it. This is a natural swimming pool with a restaurant. After a busy day, you will certainly deserve a Middle East style spa, i.e. delicious cuisine, Kurdish hospitality and crowds.   

I would like to mention two more places that can be seen on the way from Amedi to Duhok and then on to Erbil. Of course, it is also the other way around on the road towards Amedi. It is the old, luxurious post-war Stone Old Hotel in the village of Sersink. This hotel is undergoing extensive renovations right now and should welcome guests again in the fall of 2022. Interestingly, the entire hotel is made of stone blocks. Very impressive. As is the view from Gara Mountain, which is located above the hotel. The drive to the top of Gara takes about 15 minutes and the view of the valley and the mountain ranges is truly breath-taking.

One final riddle. Do you know what the most valuable thing about the Amedi region is? Tahini! Just as Halabja has its pomegranates and walnuts, Amedi has the best tahini in the whole of the KRI and possibly the world. If you want to take away something tangible and delicious from Amedi, the local tahini is definitely the way to go.