The hidden face of Erbil: change and persistence in the urban core

Erbil's urban core, a key component of one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, exhibits a dynamic interplay between change and persistence across millennia. Research reveals that its origins trace back to the Attabeg period (10th–12th centuries CE), with elements like a public square (maidan) and the citadel gate possibly dating to the Assyrian period (1000–612 BCE). Despite successive transformations—driven by beliefs, ruling decisions, and economic forces—the maidan, historic bazaar paths, and the citadel gate endured as integral nodes for rituals, commerce, and civic life. A multi-method interdisciplinary study, combining history, archaeology, architecture, and socio-cultural analysis, employed a triangulation approach across four chronological periods (Assyrian, Attabeg, Early Modern, and Modern) to map tangible urban structures and intangible cultural practices. This work clarifies the obscured layers of Erbil's urban evolution, highlighting how persistent elements adapted or vanished while others re-emerged under shifting governance and societal needs.

Al-Hashimi, F. (2016). The hidden face of Erbil: change and persistence in the urban core. Unpublished. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18547.91687