The city of Erbil, Iraq, has seen a population boom in recent decades, from about 500,000 in 1980 to 1.6 million today. Much of this growth followed the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, as modern housing, luxury hotels, well-paved roads and other infrastructure were built throughout the city. Expansion has generally followed a pattern of concentric circles around the central Citadel of Erbil, which dates to the 5th millennium BC. 36.191188°, 44.009189° Source imagery: Google Timelapse / Planet |