Christmas Day Pictures!

More pictures at last! This is my eventful Christmas Day adventure. Enjoy!

Our day started at the Citadel. It looks like a castle sitting on top of a hill.

Erbil is the oldest city in the world that is still inhabited.

The Citadel is the oldest part of the city and where most people lived.

This is the front door to the house where Shownim was born in the Citadel. The house was converted into the Textile Museum of Erbil. It was closed. We thought it was because it was Christmas day, but it looks like it is actually closed for restoration.

It will not be open before we leave.

The courtyard that leads to a guest house that is connected to the house where Mahir lived for 10 years. The Citadel Fountain sits in the center. It no longer works, but is being restored.

You can see the building in the background. I love the archways and metal scroll work.

Funny story: When Mahir was small, he and his older brother Farouk used to play in this courtyard. From the stories, I picture Farouk as an adventurous and creative child. One day, Farouk decided he wanted to be Tarzan! He told Mahir, I am going to try to swing across the courtyard on a vine like Tarzan. If anything goes wrong, then it is your job to go and get help. Farouk tied towels and sheets together to make the vine. It is difficult to tell from this picture, but there is a metal beam on the first level above the fountain that he managed to tie the vine onto. He stood on the railing and flew off on the vine with a Tarzan yell. Unfortunately, the knots between the towels were not nearly strong enough to support his weight. He fell straight down onto the marble floor. Mahir said that Farouk was completely knocked out. He was supposed to go for help, but rather he just ate a snack and waited for Farouk to wake back up.

--- Hi Farouk! I heard you have been reading the blog. Hope you like the story! ---

One of the main rooms in guest house at the Citadel.

Sabriya says that the ceiling still looks as it did originally.

The windows at the top look towards the painted ceiling of the hallway beyond the wall.

The painting is part of the current restoration project. The family moved out in the 1950s.

Mohammed is on the left and Tawar is on the right.

Tawar was a great tour guide. Thanks again for taking us around. :)

This is the famous tea house that we went to in the middle of the market place.

The tea was good and we had so much fun looking at all of the pictures on the walls.

This is the Lebanese bakery where we got dessert for Christmas.

Doesn't it look amazing? We wanted to get everything!

Our Christmas feast! The dish at the top is the spiced, yogurt-marinated chicken with rice and grilled vegetables. In the middle is the stuffed chicken with green rice. I do not know what made it green, but it was yummy! This dish was my favorite of the three. The large platter in the front had the breaded chicken with vegetables. It was covered with Iraqi fries. Alan doesn't like them at all. He says that they have little flavor and are never crispy. There is flat bread and a veggie tray at the bottom of the table. Look, mom! They let me set the table like I do at home!