The Tigris at Tikrit is broad and fast-moving, and the view from the riverbank — particularly from the high ground near the citadel — is one of the most striking in the city. The river has been the reason for Tikrit's existence across every era of its history: a ford, a ferry crossing, a defensive barrier, a source of water in an arid landscape.
The riverfront itself is not developed for visitors, and the area around it should be approached with awareness of the current security situation. But for those already in the city, the river is worth seeing. In the early morning the light across the water and the bluffs opposite is genuinely beautiful, and it puts Tikrit's long history as a riverside settlement into immediate physical context.