Shaqlawa

Shaqlawa sits at around a thousand metres in a valley below the Safeen range, and it has been the hill station for Erbil for generations: when the plain reaches fifty degrees in summer, families come up here for the cooler air, the orchards and the springs. The town is mixed Kurdish Muslim and Christian, with churches and mosques a few streets apart, and the main street is lined with stalls selling fruit, nuts, honey and pickles from the surrounding gardens. Paths climb Safeen mountain behind, and small shrines and springs are scattered on the slopes. Development has been rapid, with hotels and holiday houses spreading up the valley sides, and the town is much busier than it was.

What you actually see

• The market street - fruit, nuts, honey and pickles from local gardens.
• Safeen mountain - the range rising directly behind the town.
• Churches and mosques - the mixed community's buildings side by side.
• Orchard valleys - the gardens and springs around the town.

When to go

April to June for blossom and green hills, September and October for fruit and settled weather. July and August are the busiest, when the plain is unbearable and everyone comes up. Winter brings snow.

Honest expectations

Building on the valley sides has been rapid and much of it is unattractive. Summer weekends are crowded with traffic jams on the road up. The town has few formal sights; the pleasure is walking and eating. Hotel standards vary widely.

Nearby

Erbil lies southwest; Khanzad castle is on the road between them.