This is Sulaymaniyah’s answer to Central Park and Coney Island all rolled into one. It’s a huge place filled with gardens, playgrounds, restaurants, cafes and a small lake. It’s a popular place for jogging, picnicking and people-watching. The best day to come is Friday night, when the park is packed with families and young people. The northwest corner of the park is a separate, fenced-in amusement park with a Ferris wheel, kiddie rides and plenty of junk-food vendors.
In 2013 Azadi Park (freedom park) gained unexpected fame when a Kurdish man and his fiance were photographed kissing each other among the ashes of a burnt-down statue as a response to the vandalism.
