Iraq Kurdistan's mountains resist summer heat with lasting snow

Shafaq News/ Despite scorching summer temperatures reaching near-boiling levels in Iraq, pockets of snow from last winter have defied the sun's heat and stubbornly refused to melt for months.

High in the Zagros Mountains, in the Goman district of Erbil, lies the Barza Waterfall and its accompanying ice cave. Formed by the accumulation of heavy snowfall last winter, the cave stands several meters tall. As temperatures began to rise, the melting water carved out an icy passageway that visitors can walk through at their full height to reach the waterfall.

Thanks to the abundant snowfall in the Kurdistan region last winter, the waterfall and cave have become a popular tourist destination for locals and visitors from other Iraqi provinces.

"This is the first time I've visited this place," Azad Hussein, a resident of al-Sulaymaniyah, told Shafaq News agency. "I drove four hours from al-Sulaymaniyah, and then hiked for two and a half hours to climb the mountain and reach the waterfall and ice cave."

"Despite the fatigue and exhaustion of getting here, once I arrived, I felt so refreshed," he added. "It's worth all the effort, it's really surprising to find snow this thick despite the high temperatures."

"When I heard about this place, I didn't believe I would find snow in July," said Kawa Ali, a Kurdish tourist, to Shafaq News agency. "But here I am now, nestled in the mountains with snow covering the area."

"The flow of frozen water from this waterfall is also very beautiful and strange," she noted. "We are not used to snow staying all these months despite the high temperatures."