Sherwana Castle

Sherwana castle was built in the early nineteenth century by a chief of the Jaff, one of the largest Kurdish tribal confederations, on the bank of the Sirwan river at Kalar, and it served as the family seat: a two-storey stone building around a courtyard with arched galleries, guest halls and living quarters, plain in finish and solid in construction. After decades of neglect it was restored and now houses a museum of the Garmian region with ethnographic material, weapons, costume and photographs, along with archaeological finds from the surrounding area. The riverbank around it has been laid out as a park. The Garmian is hot lowland country between the mountains and the plain, and Kalar is its main town.

What you actually see

• The stone castle - two storeys of arched galleries around a court.
• The regional museum - ethnography, weapons and costume of Garmian.
• The riverside park - the laid-out bank of the Sirwan.
• Jaff tribal history - the family and confederation the castle belonged to.

When to go

November to March; the Garmian lowlands are extremely hot from May to September. The museum keeps daytime hours and may close on a weekly rest day.

Honest expectations

Restoration has been extensive and much of the fabric is renewed. The museum is small and labelling is in Kurdish and Arabic. Kalar is a plain town with few other attractions. The drive from Sulaymaniyah takes about two hours.

Nearby

Darbandikhan lies north; Kirkuk is northwest.