Erbil Citadel Town, which is now included on the UNESCO Tentative List, overlooks the modern Kurdistani capital of Erbil and is thought to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, perhaps dating to the Neolithic and Mid Bronze Age Periods (6000-1500 BCE)
The Town is part of a region crammed with archaeological treasures and historical legacy. It lies close to the site, in what is now northern Iraq, where it’s believed the Macedonian army of Alexander the Great defeated Persian king, Darius III at the epic Battle of Gaugamela, a defeat that ultimately led to the disintegration of the Achaemenid Empire.
Erbil Citadel Town - on UNESCO Tentative List
The Town, almost elliptical in shape covers around 25 acres and is comprised of what UNESCO describes as, “mainly traditional courtyard houses (around 500) and built in ochre coloured bricks” which emphasises the point that Erbil Citadel Town is important to historians, not as a raised defensive platform, but as a living growing urban complex.
Erbil Citadel Town on WMF Endangered List
Although many of the houses, which line a series of narrow labyrinthine streets, are considered to have significant historical and architectural worth, there are also some real gems waiting to be investigated. Among them: a number of mosques and a Hammam (public baths). While there is much to be explored and brought back to life, a number of important buildings have already been lost. They include two Takyas (meeting places for devout Muslims), visible now only in some early photographs. A listing in the New York based World Monument Fund’s (WMF) 100 most endangered cultural sites has further emphasised the fragility of the site.
High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization
However to better understand the need for urgent restoration work within the Citadel Town, the clock must first be turned back to 2006. When faced with the collapse of many of the houses, the Kurdish Regional Government evicted all the inhabitants and established the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization (HCECR) to oversee the restoration and revival of this ancient place.
Although the term evicted was used the people, mainly squatters some driven there by Saddam Hussein’s war against the Kurds, were given a plot of land nearby and money to build a house. One family was allowed to remain in order to perpetuate the site’s “continuous inhabitation” status and to manage the pumps, which controlled the water flow, essential to stop the erosion of the Citadel’s supporting slopes. Hadida Hamademin Kader, a member of the remaining family said, “I don’t feel lonely – I like it here, the plan to renovate the Citadel has made us very happy.”
Sadly, despite the UNESCO listing and widespread international financial and technical support for the project, progress to date has been slower than expected.
Sources:
UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, Erbil Citadel, site accessed 8 January 2011
High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization, Erbil Citadel: History, Location, Topography, site accessed 8 January 2011
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