Arbil, capital of Iraq’s relatively stable Kurdistan region, has developed at a breakneck pace while violence cripples the rest of the country. Wide highways and vast construction projects are transforming a city steeped in history and surrounded by mineral riches. Kurdish leaders believe they can attract foreign investment by promising access to their untapped markets and natural resources.

• Five-page spread (2,000 words) for Monocle magazine from Kirkuk, February 2009. (Subscription required to view article on Monocle website.)

Photographs by Kamaran Najm/Metrography