The 6,000-year saga of the Citadel of Erbil

The history of Erbil’s citadel reads like a cinematic epic worthy of Cecil B. DeMille Possibly one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited human settlements, the citadel is built on a series of archaeological layers crowned by Ottoman-era houses. It may have been the site of a temple to Ishtar, was an important center of Nestorian Christianity, and survived both the 13th-century Mongol invasion and an 18th-century siege by Nader Shah. It was home to the Medians and the Assyrians (who called it Arbela), Muslims and Jews, and has housed Sufi shrines and displaced squatters. Its mound-like form has been shaped by successive generations of inhabitants and invaders who simply built on top of the rubble of their predecessors.

Erbil Citadel World Monuments Fund

Erbil Citadel – Erbil, Iraq - Atlas Obscura

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In pictures: Inside the Erbil Citadel, one of the world's oldest

Erbil Citadel, a symbol of human life

Citadel X Phenomena

Erbil Citadel, a symbol of human life

Citadel X Phenomena

After 6,000 Years, Time For A Renovation At Iraq's Citadel

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Erbil Citadel World Monuments Fund