Duhok is surrounded by mountains like this which is part of the reason why the Turks, Iranians, and Iraqis have never really been able to “pacify” the kurds. Security is tight in Kurdistan, they certainly police they’re own.
Random building along one of the main commercial ribbons in town.
As I recall I took this picture after we had lunch. It was some of the worst pizza I have ever been party to. I recall walking into a bathroom to wash my hands before we ate and a orderly asked me in broken English, “Are you Special Force?!?” Kids in town asked me if I worked with KDP (Kurdish Militia) so OPSEC is pretty much joke in this part of the world.
Strangers in a strange land. Wish I had been able to spend more time in the area.
A chute that ran across the top of the market. I could here workers rolling something down it but have no idea what…
I have a few more pictures from Duhok but I think you get the idea from the three part series. If someone wants to see the rest let me know and I’ll throw them up here.
Reflexive Fire 
Pretty fascinating photos if you ask me. We always think of Kurdistan as some vague area in northern Iraq where everyone owns a goat and lives in some kind of hut, with an AK leaning next to the doorframe. I honestly would never have thought that someplace so urban would exist there. Just goes to show how ignorant most of us are about that part of the world.
Kurdistan is effectively it’s own nation although not a recognized one. They have they’re own military and police force, they’re own irrigation systems and infrastructure, even a garbage removal service which stands in contrast to the rest of Iraq we’re Iraqis just burn they’re trash out in the streets.