Discover Dohuk: Bazaar, Mosque and Duhok Dam Lake

Dohuk combines a historic city center with nearby places that reveal other sides of the destination. Duhok Old Bazaar and the Grand Mosque of Duhok are in the city; Duhok Dam Lake is nearby. This offers a choice of different themes: trade and crafts, history, and seasonal activities by the water.

Trade and crafts at Duhok Old Bazaar

Duhok Old Bazaar is a network of narrow, covered lanes in the city’s original trading center. The covered areas are home to copper and brass workshops where items are still made by hand. Spice stalls and fabric merchants are part of the scene, as are tailors making traditional and modern Kurdish clothing. The bazaar brings together different forms of trade and craftsmanship, from spices and fabrics to metalworking and clothing.

At the edge of the bazaar are kebab restaurants with rotating spits and charcoal grills. Meat is visibly ground and seasoned on site. These restaurants add a glimpse of kebab preparation to the theme of trade and craftsmanship.

Traditional core and newer shops

A ring of newer shops surrounds the traditional core of Duhok Old Bazaar. They sell electronics, shoes and household goods. In terms of both location and merchandise, these shops differ from the workshops, spice stalls, fabric merchants and tailors in the covered lanes. Visitors interested in the bazaar can distinguish between two sides of this trading area: its traditional core and the surrounding ring of shops selling other types of goods.

The Grand Mosque of Duhok and its history

The Grand Mosque of Duhok opened in 1684, shortly after it was built. Its history also includes an educational role: the western part of the building was dedicated to education. Students there were taught traditional Islamic teachings by local imams as well as imams from Turkey, Syria and Iran.

The mosque is therefore associated not only with a historic opening date, but also with the former use of part of the building for teaching. Together with the bazaar, the mosque offers a different focus in the city: history and former educational use rather than trade and crafts.

Duhok Dam Lake nearby

Duhok Dam Lake was created when the Duhok Dam was completed on the Duhok River in the 1980s. The road along the reservoir is used as an evening promenade. There are tea houses, small restaurants and boat rentals along it, operating from spring to autumn. As these services are seasonal, it is advisable to check locally whether they are operating before your trip.

Swimming is officially prohibited near the Duhok Dam. Pedal boats and small motorboats can be rented at the jetties; the restriction and rental services may change. Check the current local rules and boat rental operations before visiting. This makes it possible to understand the lakeside promenade and boating options without assuming that swimming is another option.

For a different kind of outing, there are picnic areas in the pine forest by Duhok Dam Lake. They are under mature trees that provide shade in July and August. The evening promenade along the road by the water and the shaded picnic areas differ both in location and in their stated seasonal context: one is about using the lakeside road in the evening, the other about shade in midsummer.

For the broader travel overview: Duhok.