A village in Erbil hidden from tourists

Deep in the mountains, surrounded by trees, Keshke village is not yet known to tourists in the Kurdistan Region's capital Erbil.

Keshke village is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of Erbil city. Keshke means "sparrow". Locals say their village got that name due to the simple fact it has so many sparrows.

Even though Keshke is very close to Erbil, few people from the Kurdish capital have ever been there or even know about it.

"This place is hidden from tourists," said Fawaz Amjad, a tourist from Baghdad. "It is just 20 minutes from Erbil, and it is in the mountains."

Only seven families live in Keshke, exactly 30 people. It is a small village, just five minutes from the Erbil-Ranya highway. There is a primary school with only five students and a mosque.

The village is known for its springs, old trees, Rahman Cliff, the Summit of Mullah, and a cemetery with 200 tombs.

"We used to have a dozen springs," Mam Darwesh, a dweller in Keshke, told Kurdistan 24. "Only one hasn't dried up. That one is called the Spring of Women. Water gushes out 24/7. It's warm in winter, cool in summer. And it is the primary source of irrigation here."

Rahman Cliff looks scary, but it is not scary at all. It has a narrow passage in the middle of the mountain for animals to reach the fresh pasture on the other side of the village.

The Cliff has a story, and locals tell it to anyone who visits their village.

"Almost two centuries ago, during a wedding ceremony, a giant rock rolled down from the mountain," Darwesh said. "It killed the couple. Since that day, this cliff is named after the husband, a poor guy called Rahman."

Deep down the cliff is the rock. It is huge, and tourists can go down to it and take photos.

"It is not hard to go down the cliff," said Amjad said. "If a heavy guy like me can do it, everyone can do it."

Out of all the trees in the village, one is famous. It is called the Old Tree since it is 400 years old. Locals are proud of it.

"The Old Tree is one of us," said Soran Salman, a young dweller. "We love it for its beauty, for its liveliness."

The few tourists who visit Keshke cannot miss the thick tree.

"Look, I can go inside the tree," said Amjad. "It is open in the middle. It is like the tree has opened its arms to hug us. It is amazing for photos, and it feels like you are being hugged when you are inside the tree."

The cemetery has a shrine called 'The tomb of grandfather Seid Jaffar', which is very dear to the villagers.

"Our grandpa has been protecting us," said Darwesh. "He was a righteous man, he could do miracles, and he was the one who founded this village."

The Summit of Mullah, locally known as 'Kapki Mala', is the mountain's summit, right across from Safin Mountain. Tourists can enjoy the hike up. There is a view of Erbil city and Safin mountain from the top.

"A slim guy can make it in one hour to the summit," said Amjad. "But I did it in two hours. But it worth it."

"Once you're up there, the view is fantastic."