Following the unlikely seeming creation of a new ski resort in North Korea which opened last month, news has emerged that another new ski area has also opened in Iraq.
Although best known in the UK as a desert country, Iraq, like its neighbours Iran and Turkey, has high mountains that often have snow cover in the north.
The new Korek Mountain resort is located in the semi-autonomous and normally most stable Kurdistan area in the north of the country.
The BBC report a budget of $95m has been made available for the resort’s construction, with access provided by a Doppelmayr built gondola which rises to approximately 1700 metres above sea level.
An opening festival was stage last week, according to the BBC report, but so far 2014 has ot been a particularly snowy winter in Iraq and cover was limited.
The complex also does not appear to have any other ski lifts except the gondola at present, and there is not snow cover from top to bottom.
The centre’s website thekorekmountainresort.com was not operational at time of writing, but the ski area is active on Facebook.