Nature · Erbil
Sami Abdulrahman Park
A 200-hectare park on the western edge of Erbil, with two lakes, walking paths, and the finish line of the Erbil Marathon.
At a glance
- Drive time
- 15 min
- Suggested visit
- 2 h
- Admission
- Free
- Best months
- Mar · Apr · May · Oct · Nov
Sami Abdulrahman Park covers roughly 200 hectares on Erbil's western side, on the site of what had been a military base. Construction ran through 1998 and 2000, and the park opened to the public on 14 March 2000, later named for the KRG deputy prime minister killed in a 2004 suicide bombing.
The grounds hold two lakes with boat rides, a rose garden, wide lawns planted with hundreds of thousands of trees, cafés and a restaurant, playgrounds, and a Martyrs Monument inscribed 'Freedom is not free.' It's one of the few genuinely large green spaces in the city, popular for evening walks, family picnics, and — once a year — as the finish line of the Erbil Marathon.
Highlights
- Two lakes with boat rides across 200 hectares of grounds
- Hundreds of thousands of planted trees — genuine shade in a hot-summer city
- Martyrs Monument commemorating Sami Abdulrahman
- Finish line of the annual Erbil Marathon
Practical notes
Free public park. Boat rides and café/restaurant items are paid separately. Best in the late afternoon and evening; shadeless midday visits in summer are uncomfortably hot.
Where it is
Staying in Erbil?
Every hotel in our live Erbil directory books direct — real availability, English / Arabic / Kurdish reception, no middleman commission.
Browse hotels in Erbil →