Citadel of Erbil

Also known as Citadel of Arbil, Erbil Citadel, Citadel of Hawler, Qalay Hawler

citadel and archaeological settlement hill in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan

Key facts

Type: Citadel
Controlled by: Kurdistan Region
Open to the public: Yes
Condition: Partially ruined
Coordinates: 36°11′28″N 44°00′33″E / 36.1910°N 44.0091°E / 36.1910; 44.0091
Battles wars: Siege by the Mongols (1258)
Official name: Erbil Citadel
Criteria: iv
Designated: 2014 (38th session )
Region: List of World Heritage Sites in Iraq

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Area: 268.34

~23 min read

Article

The Citadel of Erbil (Kurdish: قەڵای هەولێر Qelay Hewlêr, Arabic: قلعة اربيل, romanized: Qal'at Erbīl), locally called Qellat, is a tell or occupied mound, and the historical city centre of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The citadel was added to the World Heritage List on 21 June 2014.

The earliest evidence for occupation of the citadel mound dates to the 5th millennium BC, and possibly earlier. It appears for the first time in historical sources in the Ebla tablets in modern Syria around 2000 BC, and gained particular importance during the Neo-Assyrian period. During the Sassanian period and the Abbasid Caliphate, Erbil was an important centre for Christianity. After the Mongols captured the citadel in 1258, the importance of Erbil declined. During the 20th century, the urban structure was significantly modified, as a result of which a number of houses and public buildings were destroyed.