Snowballs fly as Mt. Hassan Beg winter wonderland attracts tourists
SORAN, Kurdistan Region - Snow has blanketed the top of Hassan Beg Mountain in the Kurdistan Region’s Soran district, attracting tourists from all over Iraq looking to play in the snow and enjoy the breathtaking views.
Local residents say there has been less snow this year than normal. At the peak of the mountain, the snow is three metres deep and just one meter at the foot.
"The first sign [of heavy snowfall] is when the big stone of Hassan Beg Mountain disappears, which means that four to five meters of snow has fallen, give or take a meter," Rashad Nabi, a local resident, told Rudaw.
"This year it has not snowed so we consider it like springtime. It has rained a lot but not snowed. We want a lot of snow for us to have a lot of water for agriculture," said Ahmed Khan Rasool, another local.
Though the residents are not impressed with the amount of snow, the tourists are. Visitors have come to sled down the slopes, dance in the snow, and win a snowball fight.
"We came from Kirkuk and the high mountains and fresh air and scenery opened up our hearts, away from the bustling city which is very good for our mental health," Mayar Tahir, a tourist, said.
The Kurdistan Region attracts some international tourists, but the bulk of the holidaymakers come from the southern and central provinces of Iraq.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to attract 20 million tourists annually by 2030.
Local residents say there has been less snow this year than normal. At the peak of the mountain, the snow is three metres deep and just one meter at the foot.
"The first sign [of heavy snowfall] is when the big stone of Hassan Beg Mountain disappears, which means that four to five meters of snow has fallen, give or take a meter," Rashad Nabi, a local resident, told Rudaw.
"This year it has not snowed so we consider it like springtime. It has rained a lot but not snowed. We want a lot of snow for us to have a lot of water for agriculture," said Ahmed Khan Rasool, another local.
Though the residents are not impressed with the amount of snow, the tourists are. Visitors have come to sled down the slopes, dance in the snow, and win a snowball fight.
"We came from Kirkuk and the high mountains and fresh air and scenery opened up our hearts, away from the bustling city which is very good for our mental health," Mayar Tahir, a tourist, said.
The Kurdistan Region attracts some international tourists, but the bulk of the holidaymakers come from the southern and central provinces of Iraq.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to attract 20 million tourists annually by 2030.