Good morning, guys from here in Kurdistan; specifically, here in Duhok, and today
we're going to be exploring more of the Kurdistan region and I’m very excited to
share with you. We're with the squad. We got Govind up here.
We’ve got Yad Ventures already filming away. What's up? And, we're gonna
be heading over to Gora Mountain. Gara
Gara Mountain. Saddam’s palace. Saddam's palace, yeah that's right guys.
Saddam's palace just a few years later not too long ago, it was an extremely
dangerous place. Basically if I were to come here around the time of 2005, and I
showed up to Saddam Hussein’s palace there's a good chance something very
very bad would happen to me. Actually, almost guaranteed but actually since
about 2005, it's been a pretty safe area for foreigners to visit. I’m being told
by Govind for the reason being that this is far away from
where ISIS was basically causing trouble in the regions from 2014 to
2017. So, it's gonna be a pretty crazy adventure to see a place that- Honestly,
10 years ago I would have never in my entire life thought I would be out here.
And so, I’m excited to share with you guys what it's like out here because
overall my experience in Kurdistan has been such a peaceful and exciting time.
It’s felt safe the whole time, we've been welcomed.
And, you can just tell there's not that many tourists here because we get a lot
of looks which is great though. Because I’m sharing this with you guys because
there is a lot of this world to explore. There’s a lot of places to see that the
media might be showing you is way worse than it actually is. And, here in
Kurdistan is one of those amazing places; those untouched gems that I’m hoping by
the end of this series you guys are going to fall in love with like I am. At
just about 40 minutes outside of there, we're arriving to Saddam's palace. We're
still a little bit outside of the palace here but we're on his private highway
that was created just for his palace. So, it seems
like there are a few others who are now occupying it. A couple houses have been
built along the way since 2005 when his reign ended. But definitely, this road
does not get the repair you would expect. We’re running through potholes
everywhere. We're dodging them. We got Govind the legend though taking us
up here safely. So, I feel confident we're gonna make it.
But we're probably what another three four minutes from the top? No, no,
fifteen minutes from the top. Wow. Very high the mountain. Oh, very high.
Alright, so yeah as you can see this road right here is a long- long distance
and it was created just for this palace. You can see how many- how much money was
spent the resources that were created. So, Saddam back in the day could have this
palace. One of many palaces I’m assuming? He has multiple palaces? Yes, yes.
Yeah. And this road he created just for the
palace. Yeah. Yeah exactly, it's crazy.
But, you can see why he chose this area because the mountain views we're- and we’re
not even to the top yet, are absolutely stunning and you can really see you know
what 30, 40 maybe even 50 kilometers out there.
And not a bad place to wake up, let's put it that way.
So, we have a lot--It seems like these dogs must be from the same family. Oh my
God, there's goats. Sabaho [Good morning]
Right up there, that is the security building, and we're still what like 10
minutes away from Saddam's palace? I was still like 15, yes we got a ways to go.
Also the army of Saddam when Saddam visiting this palace, the
army of Saddam they don't know when he visiting. No one knows. Nobody knows. Nobody knows.
Yeah. Around this small mountain, it's all
bomb. Mine?
Sorry yeah, it's mine. Even now? Even now.
Now, we can see lots of the sign; mine sign.
Why? because Saddam putting around his palace all the mines.
Nobody can't climb to the mountain illegally. Yeah. Okay so, because that he
saves his palace by the mine. Wow. Okay. So, that's the sign for mines right there?
Yeah this is the sign for the mine.
So, you see guys right there that's the sign. It's indicating that there's still
mines all over this mountain. You know, when you plant mines especially so many
years back, it's impossible to or pretty much impossible to find every single one.
So, that's why if you're coming here to visit you gotta stay on paved road here,
and not risk it because you never know when one of these is just gonna go off.
Here’s a little close-up for you guys of
that sign I was just showing you. So, these are
all of the mines, you can see.
Those are all over the mountain here. So, you know they're saying basically
watch out because if you're walking all up in these areas, all up there where the
palace is that's where you can get nailed.
Oh Hasta Luego. Oh, it looks like I’m being left behind.
The Govind's special, he's leaving us. So, here we go guys.
We’re hopping back in the car. As, you can see I just changed because it's freezing
here. It’s probably like, I don't know 15 Celsius, 50 Fahrenheit.
Alright, alright should I climb the mountain where the land mines are. Yeah,
yeah, InshAllah (God Willing) no.
This is the palace. Yeah, we're pulling up. Wow, it looks like it's been blown up a
few times. Alright, guys we have made it up to the
top here, and Wow.
You know, you can understand why he chose this as a location.
Look at the curves on those mountains not only just because of the beauty but
the protection. You can see things in so many distances. Oh there's a- there's a
dog down there. Sabaho perro [Good morning, dog].
And then, right up there looks like those are guard towers.
That little strip over there, that's the helicopter pad.
The helicopter pad that Saddam Hussein used to fly in on which was only once
every 365 days. So, he had this massive palace; insane palace a 25-minute drive
up his private road to get here, that he would only visit once every 365 days.
But wow, it is an incredible place. Let’s go check this
massive, massive palace out. Honestly, I feel like
I’m in the game call of duty right now. It looks like something from there
because it's like you got your sandbags up there. You have just basically pieces
of it that are blown to shreds. Crazy, crazy, crazy to be here and it's
also interesting. It looks like this place must be fully running
off of this generator. Obviously, some of this is gonna be new installations.
There’s telecom towers over there. So, I guess this area must be bringing in
some sort of revenue for
what it's being used for today, not just tourism. Alright, guys so we
are walking up into the palace here, and wow you can tell, it has been absolutely
beaten to hell. Look at there's just like holes in everything.
This place has faced more than just one or two airstrikes that's for sure. Bullet
holes right here.
Everything is just- Salaam Alaikum [Peace be upon you].
Wow, this is crazy.
Can we- Can we get a special tour? Oh no, just here. Okay, thank you.
Alright, so we're going this way. We got kicked out of the other way. So let's-
Let’s see what we got going on, on this side of the place.
Alright, guys we are going around the side here
and jeez look at that. Everything is just torn to shreds
over here. Yeah, I wonder what this mansion used to
look like.
Because I can tell yah-- Salam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
Wow, these views though are something that
makes sense why the palace was built to this level. Whoa.
And, somewhere across these mountains over there, that's actually the Turkish
border. So, that side of the Turkish border is
actually still what's considered part of Kurdistan, just on the Turkey side.
Wow, it is torn up around here. So yeah, guys one of the crazy things
about this place that Govind was telling us is that, no one actually ever knew
when not even the military that guarded this place, when Saddam was coming. But
what they would do is, they have this private road that only
like employees like, chefs and military would take the road
up there but Saddam actually never took the road up there. He only landed by
helicopter, and so the crazy part-- Also is since they never knew when he was coming.
The chef was required to prepare food, 365 days out of the year, and just one
out of those 365 days would he actually show up. And so, I’m being told the food
was given to like the military, and the workers there. But still, it's like that's
such a dictator move to be like. Yeah, every single day of the year, you have to
make me food because I’m gonna show up one day.
But yeah, it's just wild to imagine this place,
especially to be standing here. You know it gives me like a-
Wow hard to believe because it really does
feel like I’m in some sort of video game the way it's absolutely just war torn
around here. So, can you tell me a little bit more. I know we have telecom up there
but like what are
these guys here? So, we have them guarding it, and we have like a newer building
over there a generator, like what type of work are people doing in here still? They
are keeping this, they are Peshmerga security keeping this palace,
and there is the company here. You can see this tower.
Yeah. They're keeping this tower, those towers, yeah.
Okay. Yeah. Basically because this is the highest point in this area. So, it's the
best for like cell signal, and cable television.
Yeah, Because that-- because that Saddam
choosing this point. For that reason. Okay, that makes a lot of sense that
because of- because of its strategic military location. It's strategic way
where you can see everywhere
out here. We get to come in there?
Yes. Yallah, yallah.
We’re getting tea. So this is, this is-
We have time. This is an extra special tour then because we get to go inside,
and they never let anyone inside because the- the military base
doesn't allow. Yeah just for Govind. That’s a Govind special,
Round 10.
Alright.
Salam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
Alright, thank you, thank you. Alright, so this is the- the kitchen
yeah. That’s tea. Alright, we'll do it- we'll
do it. We'll do it, just tea. Alright so, we've got- this is where
the magic happens. Actually, this is probably the kitchen that used to have
365 days a year cooking, and now it's 365 days a year making tea. So, it's a
nice little change here probably new refrigerators. I don't think those were
here back when the explosion happened but I’m guessing the ceiling's been
remodeled as well. So, it's actually very kind of them to
invite us in for- for tea. That just shows that hospitality even up here with
the military. So, that's gonna be- that's gonna be great.
I’m excited to try out the tea up here. Never in my life would I thought that I
would have a tea in Saddam Hussein’s palace. This is crazy.
Oh, look at Govind's bringing us here.
Wow, that's way back when. Oh so, this is what it used to look like
way back when- when it was before it was blown up.
Quite the structure, it looks a lot different these days.
Then Govind Zor supas [Thank you so much], Govind.
Zor supas [Thank you so much]. You are welcome, bro.
Yum, that is good.
Camera. Yeah, GoPro
Zor supas [Thank you so much].
Alright, guys we're heading back outside now.
That was a very cool experience, like I said a couple times, never in a
million years did I think I was gonna be drinking tea
in what was once Sudam- Saddam Hussein’s palace. So, oh we got a guard dog down
there. But, that I will say is another thing
why it's great to go with Govind, and this is not a sponsored video. Govind's
just a good friend of mine, and he showed us such an amazing time. And, since he
knows like the military here, they invited us in for tea, and normally you
can never go inside. So, Peshmerga here; they are very nice. Very nice people, yeah.
Very hospitable, the tea and everything. So, it was a cool experience, and I really
hope you guys have enjoyed that video. As always, if you want to see more videos
like this here in Kurdistan or all around the world make sure you hit that
subscribe button. And, if you've enjoyed this video, make sure you smash that like
button. And, I’ll see you guys in the next video.
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