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Is this what you thought Baghdad was like? No. At all? I thought it was like a war-torn country. Iraq is the last place most people would choose for a vacation. Decades of war, corrupt dictators, and ISIS had made traveling here unpredictable. Sporadic bombings, intense checkpoints, and the risk of getting kidnapped are serious threats. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! But now, the country is rebuilding. So what's it like to walk the streets of Baghdad as an American tourist?
How will locals react to outsiders in one of Islam's holiest cities? And what's waiting to be discovered in Babylon, the world's oldest city? My wife Deanna is joining me on this adventure, and our local friend Baderkhan is picking us up to explore Baghdad. In typical Iraqi fashion, there's a shisha burning in the back seat. Is it legal? Yeah, it's legal. Everything legal in Iraq.
Baderkhan, where are we now? Yeah, we are at the heart of Baghdad old town. The historical part of Baghdad is so beautiful. Let's explore it together. The hustle and bustle of Baghdad is real. There's about 10 million people in this city. It is chaotic. It is amazing. The whole population of Czech Republic can't fit in Baghdad.
Imagine. And you're about to get hit by a car. So be careful. When crossing the street, just make sure that you give a little hand gesture so the driver knows that he sees you, that he won't run you over. What are you doing? He's selling ice. How much money can you make in one day? I'll buy him another one. Here, here, here. Keep it, keep it, keep it, keep it, keep it. So you look at the rundown houses, all from the golden age of Baghdad, like 100 years ago. So a lot of these uh, rundown uh, apartments mostly were like, owned by Jewish families, by our Jewish community.
And then when they left, we respected the place and nobody touched it, so most of it got run down. But on the other side, recently, we renovated some of them. You see how beautiful, showing it during its beautiful days. All the Jews left the community in the 50s and 60s, and now their homes are just left abandoned. But they still make up the beautiful facade of this part of the city. It's like a time capsule. Imagine people live there and looking out from the balcony. This shop selling banknotes, currencies. And if you pay close attention. to the. old Iraqi banknote, you see the face is cut it.
Saddam. Exactly. Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003, when he was publicly hanged for crimes against humanity. We're going to visit his former palace later. But it's crazy to think that he ordered chemical attacks on his own people, started catastrophic wars and left deep scars on the country that are still visible today. But despite all of that, Iraq's spirit of creativity has never stopped. Baghdad was chosen as a creative city for literature from UNESCO. The first city in whole Asia to be chosen as the creative city for literature. That's why we have a book market. Baghdad is the city of diversity.
One Adolf Hitler book next to Saddam Hussein book. Oh, my God. There's a lot of police walking up and down the street but they're just here to keep everyone safe. School started a week ago, so they are also buying stuff for their kids. I feel really safe right now but last time I was here, we filmed at a market and the next day it got bombed. But that was actually the last bombing. Right on time. You guys may not have seen my old, old, old video, but Baderkhan actually is a traveler. with the world's.
Worst passport! I have been to 70 countries with the world's worst passport. My mission is breaking stereotypes about Iraq, Mesopotamia. And also my motto is one world, one big family. There's a guy right here on the side of the street. He, he basically makes a living by weighing. He weighs you. Stand in front of me. Seventy-one. You are not fat and you are not thin. Yes. Thank you! I thank you. Fifty-two. You are. thin. Thin! Nice! Nice. Okay, I like it.
Let's see what he going to talk about me. Ninety-four. Is it good or bad? He is fat. I like your honesty Thank you. You are American? Yeah! American is very good people. His name is Sayid. And he's bringing positive energy. Hope you have a nice day.
I have no idea what just happened, but it was funny. You find really random people, like out of nowhere. According to their rituals, anyone visiting the historical heart of Baghdad should come and drink from this juice. Almost all Iraqi kings and presidents and ministers came here. Imagine this place is over 100 years old. Let's try it. You can see all these black and white photos from Iraqi kingdom time. And their specialty this. juice, raisin juice.
I'm going to be your president. Yeah. When you drink it, you feel ancient. Wow. It tastes exactly like raisins, bro. It's like cold, icy. raisins. Are these photos from this shop or what? Like from this area. So you see, this is where we are standing here. When a regime. finish and a new regime come, people usually talk about the old regime like, but now people praising the Iraqi royal kingdom. Today, what you see in Like Old town made by them. And we are keeping renovating it from hand to hand.
Yeah? I just want him. Now they're arguing who's. Oh, yeah?! I am. business uh, electric, for uh, electricion. Why do you have the hat? This is a. What he's wearing now, the formal royal. government costume. And it's so beautiful so people would go to work like this, like full uniform. What's the best and the worst thing about living in Baghdad? The new government is really care about the old town and renovating it.
Till now he's working, fixing machines and electronics. He's so happy to be here. While we're sitting here, tell me about the cafe culture in Baghdad. No, each place has its own beauty. Yeah, so we have. Oh, thank you so much! Why are you guys so nice? This is reality, actually but mass media don't want people to see such kind of reality. So they just zoom in on some random. things. That's true.
Each cafe, they are next to each other, but each one has its own clients and they come here generation after generation from grandfather. No! Great grandfather. That is so the loyalty is really there. Now what you expected? No! And let's put the hat on. through the tea. We call him Drew Al Baghdadi now. Oh, you look good! Al Baghdadi. Yeah, Drew Al Baghdadi now. Baghdadi.
Hi, guys. Hi! Where from? Philippines! Welcome Baghdad. Thank you. I just got your perfume. Thank you. How much? He's trying to give it to you for free. He want to make it a gift. No! How much? No, it's business. Wait, what? No.Why? Like why are you doing this? He want to show Iraqi generosity. But, but please don't accept it. Like, because imagine, every, like tourist, every foreigner come here like yeah, so always pay.
We will pay actually. Yeah, I will pay. I want to pay. How much? It's insane. I. I can't explain the feeling of the gratitude. You enjoying Baghdad? I love. So usually this is the Baghdadi style. costume and he's serving coffee. So actually we have coffee culture more than tea. So what is your experience like in Baghdad? The weather here is more, more hot, you know, Europe, it's more cold. That's why. Yeah. True. that's why Iraqi people are so hot.
We are so angry. And the people here, they are so aggressive but they are so kind. Are you born and raised in Germany? No. You're born here? I born in Iraq, but I'm not here since 12 years, but I miss Iraq so much. The weather, the food and. the people. It's, it's really very nice. It's like. it's like a creamy hazelnut coffee chocolate. It's really thick and creamy. Oh my God, that is good. What's going on, man? Where are you from?
I'm from Iraq, Baghdad. You're from Baghdad? Yes. Why are you holding a rose? I was just. walking around, just plucking the roses petals about, thinking about something. It's a private matter. I wish you good fortune. Thank you. Life these days is good? It's safe? I mean, yeah, it's much better than. previous years, uh, back in the day. I remember when we were kids, like, I don't. think of a day that we didn't have explosions, we didn't have deaths, we weren't scared.
You know, I remember growing up thinking how the news would be -boring in different countries because they didn't have all the drama that we had. Osama, if you could say one message to everybody in the world about life or about Baghdad or about anything, what would you tell them? Visit here. Iraq has many different places that. worth visiting, but people don't really pay attention to us. How do you feel when you see tourists here?
Like my wife, it's their first time. I mean, it's amazing but you guys are just explorers. We hope to see more tourists coming in. Last question. Where can I buy a rose for my wife? I've seen people walking around here and if you want, you can take this as you like it. No way! Yeah, you can take it. Thank you! You're welcome. Oh, thank you so much! Something I love about Baghdad is that there's so few tourists here that the prices are really honest. You don't get these scams. In fact, it's the opposite.
They're just super genuine people and they're just. wanting to shake your hand, ask you where you're from. And it's just a pleasure to be here. Really. So this entire street is lined up with all these fresh dairy shops, which, as Baderkhan told me, it comes straight from the village every morning fresh. I don't know if anybody out there can relate to me, but I am obsessed with olives. You either love them or hate them. Every single shade of olive color I've ever seen is sold at this shop. And then there's chickens next door.
I just met a fish vendor on the side of the road here. He's cutting the guts of the fish and then feeding the cats. It's kind of cute. God, Baghdad is full of surprises, man. Chilling with the boys here. Hello. How are you? Good. Iraq is good? Good. You speak English? No, no. No speak English. I am, I am, I am Abu Marki. And you? Abdullah. Where are you from? America. Oh, America. Can you believe in the year 2026 you can find people selling CDs and DVDs on the side of the road. But it's more amazing that people -have a way to play them in their house.
How long have you been selling uh, CDs and DVDs? He started with cassettes in the 80s, Imagine. Till now and slowly with, with time, he changed it to CDs then DVDs. The world is moving so fast. At what point do you realize that no one's gonna buy these anymore? Yeah, you know, like, technology is, like, really. very quickly changing, like cassette changed to CDs, CD changed to DVDs, DVD changed to Blu-Ray, and like 4K, blah, blah. This is so old school. Exactly but like, people like to get collections, like, vintage. So, how much money do you make in one day?
Almost nothing. I really respect your hustle for continuing to sell these on the street. And he keeps thanking God, imagine. So grateful. We've entered the incredible copper market here. Everywhere you look, there are things made out of copper. It feels incredibly traditional here. Some things you just feel like haven't changed in years. And this is one of them. What are you doing? As you like. I. finished this World Cup.
How long does it take to make it? About two days. How many years are you working here? Oh, about 45. Imagine this is family business, like third generation. What keeps you motivated to keep making this by hand. when the younger generation is not buying? Yeah. His love, his passion for the work. That's why he want to keep it alive. Like you love. a girl. That sound just sent a shiver down my spine, literally. It's like fingernails down the chalkboard.
Ah, goosebump. We're buying this for our house. It's very beautiful. Handmade by this guy. Thank you. I'll think of you when I melt candle. This one, this one, by hand. Wow. Twenty-five, 25 dollars. Twenty-fivedollar. Thank you so much. Thank you. Welcome, welcome. Welcome in Iraq. Thank you. Welcome in Iraq. And you're from Iraq. Thank you. If you could say one message to anybody in the world, what would you tell them?
We love peace. Peace in our. world. Everywhere you go in Iraq, people talk about peace not just as an idea, but as a hope they carry within. And one of the most immediate ways they share their hospitality, is through food. This is a crazy hot flame burning a boiling pot of water, and that's what they're frying the fish in. I've never seen anything like it before. Like, I'm standing seven feet away and I can feel the fire. Here we have. a plate of Masgouf, the traditional food here of Iraq.
It's fish. The fish here is a freshwater fish. Oh, yeah. Look at it just comes. Oh. Oh, my God. It's like a chicken nugget but with fish inside and really, really tasty. Very good, bro. Mixing with a. mango. syrup. It's really good. How is that? The tuk-tuk guys are friends and they just freak around with each other all day. What's the best and the worst part about driving in Baghdad?
He loved actually the traffic jam. He loves foreigners also. He's so happy to see you guys here. Thank you. We come from America and Philippines. So most of the world. thinks that Baghdad is super dangerous and they're too scared to come here. You are driving the streets and you see everything. So what do you want to say to those people? Baghdad is so, so safe and it's so beautiful for living and like, growing up here. He pulled over in the middle of the intersection to go get us water. and he paid for it. He doesn't want us to pay.
No way! We have to pay. No, no English. Thank you. Oh, he kiss me. I'll give you a hug. Yeah, man. Usually we kiss each other. That was the last time we were lying. It's actually shocking how nice people are here. It's actually like. They don't, they don't have anything, they have nothing and then they. just keep giving. After experiencing the street life, Baderkhan is taking us to Saddam Hussein's grand palace. where luxury once stood in stark contrast to the suffering outside its walls. It's now turned into this big shopping mall, with all these like amazing restaurants on the river. When Saddam lived here, which room do you think this was?
A random room? It got renovated actually and because it changed the purpose from one man place to everybody place. It's hard to explain the scale of this mansion. We're just in one little corner right now which is now turned into a restaurant. Look at the view here, you see an incredible. river view. and the palace just goes on and on behind us. It's freaking huge! Food is a very serious business in Iraq though. They're bringing the meal right now. So usually Iraqi people have belly, you know why? Because our food is so greasy oily.
We have so much oil that even the food is full of oil. We are now eating in Saddam Hussein's palace and it's funny and it's lively and. we're all laughing and joking but what happened to you as a kid when you were living under Saddam Hussein? So we grew up with fear. One week before the war started, it was year 2003, we were in the middle of exams, middle year exam. I was in high school. One week before the. fall of Saddam, that's a the war was about to happen like any, any second. So we had to escape.
We escaped to. to the mountains of Kurdistan. So every day I remember I was waking up to see if the war gonna start or not. Yeah, we were scared that Saddam gonna attack also that area with chemical weapon because it happened -- back in time and everybody was really scared. But. luckily it didn't happen. And then the. American invasion happened. And so there are a couple of opinions. Some people call it invasion, some people call it liberation. But then the good thing after, so the war happened and then I came back to school and I finished and they uh, finished that year.
And it was really interesting because uh, we had no police, no government during that time. Only like American tanks all over, like Baghdad. So we had one subject. per, per day. from 10am till 11am, imagine like one hour of school each day. And like we had no electricity. It was really hard time, it was summer. But then luckily. we passed the exam, we graduated, and here we are with you guys, in Saddam Palace. Imagine like even passing by this palace, you know, this palace is right on the main street. Even passing by this palace, we couldn't point to the wall.
Imagine and now we are sitting here eating lunch. You see within 30 years how things change. That's why never take life for granted. We still very thankful for all the things which we saw and experienced because. if we didn't experience it, then we wouldn't be today, like who we are. I like how positive you are. We have to, because we have one life. You know. I respect Baderkhan for opening up about his childhood under Saddam's brutal regime. But now we are gearing up to drive south to the birthplace of civilization, Babylon.
This Mesopotamian settlement is over 4,000 years old and was once the world's largest city. But getting there means long desert highways and sketchy police stops. We are stuck at a checkpoint here. Look at those Humvee. What? Oh, my God. Bro, bro. But be careful. They are really serious. No, no, they won't see. Oh my God. It's freaking insane! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! The closer we get, the heavier the military presence becomes.
Guns and soldiers are everywhere, and Deanna and I are feeling extremely anxious. But before we arrive, there's one attraction on the side of the road that demands to be seen. Behind me is the last remaining statue of Saddam Hussein here in Iraq, and it's covered in bullet holes. How do people feel when they see that? It's very close to the historical place. That's why it became like a. landmark. So let's keep it and. learn from it.
Trump? Trump. Trump or Saddam? Who's better? Trump or Saddam? Both are criminals. Although there's only one remaining statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, his terrible legacy is still felt everywhere. But long before Saddam, there was Babylon. And we are about to step through the Ishtar Gate, which is famously decorated with lions, dragons and bulls. We are entering Babylon! We are at the center of the old world. Welcome to. Babylon.
Long before most of the planet even had cities, Babylon was leading the ancient world in science, math, astronomy and law. This is where early humans figured out how to organize society, track time and govern massive populations. The Babylonians gave us a 60 minute hour, the seven day week and some of the earliest maps ever made. Powerful kings ruled from here. Enormous walls protected the city and ideas born in Babylon spread across the entire earth.
Alexander the Great lived and died here. The Jews were exiled here. And this is the ruins that remain. All original from 2600 years ago. It's hard to believe that I'm standing here right now. And what's even more shocking is that there are no tourists here at all. We are completely alone and it's very sad. You wish that more people would be able to see this beautiful site. I mean if this place was in Rome, it'd be busier than the Vatican.
They'd be making millions of dollars a day. But now we're just here and it looks like this. What's crazy to think about is that all of humanity spoke one language here in Babylon. It was one language, one system. And then it got broken up around the world and spread to all different areas, different languages, different ethnicities. Right there behind the sunset was Saddam Hussein's former palace. It was one of his hundred something palaces. Actually on my last trip to Iraq five years ago, I was able to go inside of the palace and explore.
It's so cool that I was able to do that because now, it's kind of closed off and it's turning into a museum so, no more exploring old Saddam palaces. Imagine you are walking on history, it's so beautiful! You're reading the stories and then coming and seeing by our naked eyes everything around us. I can't describe it in words. You have to come actually to feel it. Every time. I fall in love with it more and more. So when someone says ancient, this is ancient.
This is actually ancient though. Yeah. A couple years ago when you always said like, I want to visit Iraq, is this what you thought it was like? I thought it was like what I was seeing on TV is like a lot of militaries everywhere, but it has changed a lot, so it's beautiful. Would you recommend people to come here? Yeah. And for female travelers, is it safe for a woman? Oh, very safe. You can actually go by yourself, like. around the city and it's, it's really beautiful.
They have a lot of courtyards. And nobody harasses you? No. So you guys live in the US and you're visiting here for the first time? Yeah, our first time here. First time. So you're Iraqi, right? We're Iraqi. So tell me the feeling of being in Babylon. Oh, like, I, I, I, I don't think we can describe the feeling. Yeah, I'm speechless. It's just, I feel so proud. This is. I know what they're gonna say. They're just gonna say they like, they like Baghdad and did more than you asked because I know, I already know that, so no.
Wait, wait, wait, wait. How do you feel being here? Good. Why are you so serious? Because I am. And do you know about the history of this place? No. We feel amazing. The spirit, like, can you feel the spirit here? I feel the spirit. Yes. I feel like I stepped back into the past and ancient history. Yeah! Yeah. And, and the guy there mentioned there is another civilization 10. feet under here, which is. Hammurabi's civilization. And that is 6,000 years ago.
Yeah. So cool. Nice to meet you guys, thank you so much. You too, yeah. Nice to meet you, buddy. What's your name? Bawash. Bawa- fist bump. Fist bump, come on. After standing in the ruins of one of history's greatest empires, it's hard to believe this day is still unfolding. Now we are going back to Baghdad to experience the bustling capital at night. We are now heading down to the Tigris river banks, because why not?
It's sunset and that's what we do in Baghdad! This is beautiful Tigris river. They say if you. drink from Tigris, you will come back to Baghdad. You see the historical Baghdad. The Abbasid palace. A thousand years old. palace, imagine. And here we have the beautiful clock tower, the clock gifted from King.
George, the British king. As a kid I learned about this place and this was like my early inspiration to travel and to like, want to learn about different cultures and history and now we're here. It's like, it's like a. out of body experience, to be, to be honest. Is this what you thought Baghdad was like? No. At all? I thought it was like a war-torn country. So you thought we'd have to have police or something? Yeah. I wasn't expecting that. we have a pharmacist with us.
Look, local families are enjoying their time. Right? It's not like tourists. They are local families. We are the only tourists. Yeah, imagine. Baghdad by night is so beautiful. It's so hot in the daytime, and everybody comes out at night. Yeah. I'm going to go as far as saying Baghdad is a top 10 city in the world for like, enjoyment, for an experience. It's so good. And every traveler friend that I have says the same. We just sat down at a shisha and tea place, on the side of the road here.
There's a lot of habibi here. A lot of habibi. I had so much fun with Deanna. We've been to 117 countries together and this is one of the most memorable. I can't explain it in one word. It's just so beautiful. Would you come back here? Yeah. Look, we're sitting like. with the boys. Babe, you're the only woman here. How is it? It's amazing. Very powerful. He said uhm, the, the males, the husbands, they actually come here. and they. sit together and solve world problems you talk about.
Usually when we gather, we talk about politics, and like how we can fix things, you know. Peace in the Middle East? Not just Middle East, all over the world. Like you say, if I was the president, I'm going to do this and that. Yeah. And by tomorrow we forget. They forget. There's one more thing I want to do in Baghdad before we road trip to Karbala, the holiest city for Shia Muslims, and that is to get a teeth cleaning at the dentist. It's a fun cultural experience and it costs just one tenth of what you'd pay in the US.
Hello from Iraq. That was great, man. Thank you. I feel very clean. I can feel the smoothness of them. Good work. Thank you. You're Welcome. Thank you very much, brother. Of course, bro. Mustafa, how much is it? Thirty-five thousand? My pleasure to. No. No, I'm going to pay you, brother. No, I don't take it. No, no. Please, please.
Okay, give it to the one who need. Like give it to the. need. I'm going to put it in the desk. Please, just leave. Yeah, please. No, please, please. Of course we end up paying him, but moments like this really highlight the hospitality of Iraqi people. And just when I step outside, the loudspeakers are already sounding the beautiful call to prayer. Pretty incredible to hear the speaker come on. Call to prayer. That is so incredibly powerful and strong. Hi, hi!
I like life here because I speak Arabic. It's my native language. So it's nice to be back home with your family and friends. -- Got it. But I also like life in America because I love, For sure. I grew up in there, so I love it. Got it. So many people that are going to watch this video are going to comment and say, I can't travel here as a woman, I have to cover my hair. So, is there anything you want to say to women like watching this? No, no, that's not right. No. You should come to Iraq and visit.
It's super nice! And you don't have to go. It's really safe to visit. Yeah. And you don't have to cover your hair at all. No. Safe. And you go everywhere without covering your hair? Yeah, like that. Yeah. But you realize that outsiders think that it's like super conservative? They still think, yeah, because of the media. but it's totally different than what the media says. Right. It's great to meet Iraqis who live abroad but are enjoying their time back home. But now it's time to visit Karbala,
Iraq's holiest and most protected city with heavy security and real risks if you don't know exactly what you're doing. More than 50 million pilgrims come here every year. And because of that, it's been a major target in the past, making this part of the journey a lot more intense. Walking here is almost spiritual. It's beautiful. There's so many people, amazing mosques, really good vibes. You just feel the passion, you feel the emotion. Welcome to the beautiful shrine of Imam Hussain. Usually people when come here like, they greet the spirit. Just you raise your hand.
Here is the place where the largest. annual religious human gathering happening. This is so. beautiful. Over 20 million each year, to the sacred tomb of Imam Hussain. It's not just about. over 20 million people walking. It's about the generosity of the people, the largest number of volunteers, in the love of Imam Hussain. Where do you sleep? Anywhere on the way. So wherever you get hungry, you just grab food and eat it. They are serving free food. It's like, generosity, like people will ask you for nothing.
Look at Deanna. Look how beautiful. Let's just take a moment, appreciate her beauty. Can I see? And what do you have wearing underneath that? Nothing. She's free. We call that free balling. Oh, you got to keep your head covered. Behind is a really historical site during the battle of Karbala, 1400 years ago, one of the prophet's family members got their hand chopped off here. And so in this exact spot. And this is a memorial for it. And so everybody's coming up here and paying their respects. And it's, it's really interesting to, to witness.
I've just entered inside the Imam Hussain shrine and few places in the world give me a feeling like this. Look at the details and the design, the architecture, the sparkles, the marble, the floor, the carpets Inside the mosque, we even get the chance to visit the actual burial shrine of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. And you can see how overwhelmed the pilgrims are with emotion. Just came out of the room where the actual shrine is, and I can't even put in words how spiritual it is. Everyone. crying, weeping, they're pushing, they're screaming.
The emotion just gets. outside of everyone's body, and it's. As I'm explaining these words, I'm curling my toes because that's how strong it feels inside. Man. How was it? That was amazing. How would you put that into words? Just. I can't. Did you see people crying? You can feel the emotion on people, right? What's really beautiful about what I'm seeing is that people are just on the floor eating, they're giving food, they're. very hospitable, they're welcoming people in.
It's a very, very communal setting here. And that's. that's one of the most beautiful things ever. I mean, guys, I'm Jewish. That's my religion and that's okay because I totally respect and appreciate. this branch of Islam, called Shia. It's just absolutely wonderful and I. I think everybody, at some point in their life, should visit Karbala. Exploring Karbala strengthens my belief that no matter how much hardship people here have endured, Iraq's culture and spirit are still deeply alive. It's been an incredible journey here with Deanna, and I'm grateful I got to share this beautiful corner of the world with her.
I hope that watching our trip has given you a clearer, more honest look at what it's like to travel in mainland Iraq for American tourists today. If you take away one thing from this video, let it be this, the world is far safer, far kinder, and far more hospitable than the headlines make it seem.
