An ancient city from Iraq!

Talal sends me best wishes from Iraq! Iraq is a country in Asia. The capital is Baghdad. The population is about 29,671,605. Official languages are Arabic and Kurdish. Iraq is often called the cradle of civilization because it was one of the first places on Earth where people began living in one place together. The famous children’s story Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves was written in Iraq about 1,000 years ago. Because it is so old, the country has endured many conflicts and wars. Torn between its glorious past and its recent bloody history, Iraq is a country in turmoil. After the 2003 US-led invasion and the problems that followed, the country had little time to recover before a wave of violence swept through in June 2014, when jihadist group Isis took control of large territory of north Iraq. Many parts of Iraq are harsh places to live. Rocky deserts cover about 40 percent of the land. Another 30 percent is mountainous with bitterly cold winters. Much of the south is marshy and damp. Most Iraqis live along the fertile plains of the famous rivers Tigris and Euphrates.

Here is the anthem of Iraq:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaI26chcFw 

On the postcard you can see Namrod in Ninawa province, an ancient Assyrian city. It was a major Assyrian city between approximately 1250 BC and 610 BC.

The stamp depicts popular crafts in Iraq.

Thank you so much for the postcard, Talal!