Historic Erbil to undergo digital documentation and restoration

Shafaq News– Erbil

Erbil plans to launch a project to digitally document and restore historic neighborhoods, old houses, mosques, and schools, the Kurdish capital’s governor said on Monday.

According to a statement from Governor Omed Xoshnaw’s office, the project will involve two firms, View Pioneer and Point Pass, which have previously carried out similar documentation work in Al-Sulaymaniyah and Halabja.

The initiative comes as Erbil’s historic core, dominated by its ancient citadel, faces mounting pressure from urban expansion. The citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and among the world’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements, is already undergoing a separate restoration program overseen by Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, with funding from the United States and the European Union.

Kurdish authorities revealed previously that France is financing the restoration of six sites in Duhok, while Italy has contributed to conservation projects in Erbil and Mosul. The United States has also completed restoration work on the citadel’s historic hammam.

Read more: Visit Kurdistan: Erbil Citadel gathers history and tourism