Iraq is a country located in Western Asia bordered by Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria. Iraq has a rich history and culture, but has also experienced much conflict and unrest in recent decades. In this article, we have gathered 57 riddles about Iraq for your enjoyment. Test your knowledge of this unique country by trying to solve these brainteasers!
Geography Riddles
Let’s start with some riddles related to Iraq’s geography and landscape features:
Riddle 1
What is Iraq’s only seaport?
Answer: Umm Qasr
Riddle 2
Two major rivers that run through Iraq?
Answer: The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Riddle 3
What is the name of the narrow waterway that separates Iraq from Iran?
Answer: The Shatt al-Arab
Riddle 4
What desert covers much of western Iraq?
Answer: The Syrian Desert
Riddle 5
What are Iraq’s two largest lakes?
Answer: Lake Tharthar and Lake Habbaniyah
History & Culture Riddles
Next up, some brainteasers related to Iraqi history and culture:
Riddle 6
What ancient civilization first developed in Mesopotamia, the area that is now modern-day Iraq?
Answer: The Sumerians
Riddle 7
Which ancient language’s cuneiform script was used in ancient Mesopotamia?
Answer: Akkadian
Riddle 8
The Epic of Gilgamesh originated in what is now this modern country?
Answer: Iraq
Riddle 9
In the 8th century AD, Baghdad was the capital of which major empire?
Answer: The Abbasid Caliphate
Riddle 10
Babylon was the capital city of which ancient kingdom located in what is now Iraq?
Answer: The Babylonian Empire
Riddle 11
Which ancient structure located in what is now Iraq was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
Answer: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Riddle 12
From 1921 to 1958, Iraq was under the control of which European colonial power?
Answer: The United Kingdom
Riddle 13
Which ethnic group forms the largest minority group within Iraq?
Answer: Kurds
Riddle 14
What is Iraq’s national sport?
Answer: Football/Soccer
Riddle 15
Dolma and kleicha are traditional foods commonly associated with which annual Iraqi holiday?
Answer: Eid al-Fitr
Politics & Government Riddles
How well do you know Iraqi politics and government institutions? Test yourself:
Riddle 16
Who was Iraq’s longest ruling president, from 1979 to 2003?
Answer: Saddam Hussein
Riddle 17
What government body appoints Iraq’s president?
Answer: The Council of Representatives
Riddle 18
Since 2005, Iraq has which form of government?
Answer: Parliamentary republic
Riddle 19
Nouri al-Maliki held which important political position from 2006 to 2014?
Answer: Prime Minister of Iraq
Riddle 20
Which official position does Mohammed al-Halbousi currently hold?
Answer: Speaker of the Council of Representatives
Riddle 21
In what year was the current constitution of Iraq approved?
Answer: 2005
Iraq War Riddles
Sadly, war has played a major role in Iraq’s modern history. Test your knowledge of recent Iraqi military conflicts:
Riddle 22
What was the code-name for the 2003 invasion of Iraq led by the United States?
Answer: Operation Iraqi Freedom
Riddle 23
The Iraq War began in 2003 under which U.S. President?
Answer: George W. Bush
Riddle 24
What faction did Saddam Hussein lead in Iraq?
Answer: Ba’ath Party
Riddle 25
What key Iraqi city did U.S. forces capture in 2003, seen as a turning point in the invasion?
Answer: Baghdad
Riddle 26
In what year was Saddam Hussein captured by US forces after going into hiding post-invasion?
Answer: 2003
Riddle 27
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was the founding leader of which major insurgent group that opposed U.S. forces in Iraq post-invasion?
Answer: Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)
Miscellaneous Iraq Riddles
Here are some more Iraq riddles covering a mix of topics:
Riddle 28
In which modern-day Iraqi province were many ancient Mesopotamian civilizations based?
Answer: Dhi Qar Province
Riddle 29
Which Iraqi city is home to the famous Ishtar Gate and Processional Way relics from the ancient Babylonian Empire?
Answer: Baghdad
Riddle 30
In which decade did the Iran-Iraq war take place?
Answer: The 1980s
Riddle 31
Which Iraqi city is nicknamed “The Pearl of the North”?
Answer: Mosul
Riddle 32
Who was Iraq’s last monarch before the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958?
Answer: King Faisal II
Riddle 33
UK Forces officially ended their combat operations in Iraq in which year?
Answer: 2009
Riddle 34
In the Old Testament, the Garden of Eden was said to be located at the junction of which two rivers now flowing through Iraq?
Answer: The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Riddle 35
Which Iraqi city did U.S. forces heavily bombard in 2004 during a major battle against Sunni insurgents?
Answer: Fallujah
Riddle 36
Who was Iraq’s first democratically elected prime minister following the U.S. invasion?
Answer: Ibrahim al-Jaafari
Riddle 37
The Iraq National Museum is located in which Iraqi city?
Answer: Baghdad
Riddle 38
Which of Iraq’s governorates shares its name with an ancient region of Mesopotamia?
Answer: Babil Governorate
Riddle 39
Which ethnic minority are the Yazidis part of?
Answer: Kurds
Riddle 40
What is Iraq’s official language?
Answer: Arabic
Riddle 41
In which decade was modern Iraq established?
Answer: The 1920s
Riddle 42
What are Iraq’s only UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
Answer: Hatra and Samarra Archaeological City
Tricky Iraq Riddles
Think you’re an expert on Iraq? Try to solve these extra tricky brainteasers:
Riddle 43
Under the Abbasid Caliphate, what was the Bayt al-Hikma in Baghdad used for?
Answer: As an academy and intellectual center focused on translating texts into Arabic
Riddle 44
Which ancient king is rumored to have created the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to please his wife?
Answer: Nebuchadnezzar II
Riddle 45
What was the name of Saddam Hussein’s notorious son who was killed by US forces in 2003?
Answer: Uday Hussein
Riddle 46
Abu Ayyub al-Masri was an Egyptian terrorist associated with leading which major insurgent group in Iraq after 2006?
Answer: The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)
Riddle 47
Who succeeded Saddam Hussein as president after he was overthrown in 2003?
Answer: Jalal Talabani
Riddle 48
Maslawi and karadah are two regional styles of what type of Iraqi folk music?
Answer: Maqam
Riddle 49
The 1991 uprisings in Iraq against Saddam Hussein after the Gulf War are commonly called what?
Answer: The 1991 uprisings in Iraq or Intifada of 1991
Riddle 50
In 2014 Islamic State captured which major city in northern Iraq initiating new conflict?
Answer: Mosul
Super Tricky Iraq Riddles
Think you are an absolute expert on all things Iraq? These last few riddles will seriously test your knowledge:
Riddle 51
Which Iraqi cleric of the Sadrist Movement has been very influential in Iraqi politics since 2003?
Answer: Muqtada al-Sadr
Riddle 52
What paramilitary group was Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq a breakaway faction from in 2006?
Answer: Mahdi Army
Riddle 53
What ethnic group centered around Kirkuk has had an ongoing conflict with the Iraqi government over autonomy?
Answer: Iraqi Turkmen
Riddle 54
The Qasr al-Farid castle is located in which modern Iraqi province?
Answer: Al-Anbar Province
Riddle 55
Operation Viking Hammer in 2006-2007 targeted insurgents in which Iraqi province?
Answer: Diyala Province
Riddle 56
What dam on the Diyala River was repaired after heavy damage in the Iraq War?
Answer: The Mosul Dam
Riddle 57
Who was the Caliph during the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate to the Mongol Empire in 1258?
Answer: Al-Musta’sim
Conclusion
There you have it – 57 challenging riddles all about Iraq! We covered topics like geography, history, politics, culture, conflict and more. How did you score? Let us know if you were able to correctly answer them all! Hopefully these brainteasers taught you some new things about this unique country.
