Citadel of Erbil

Stand at the foot of the mound for a moment and look up. A long curve of pale brick wall rises above the square, warm as bread crust in the sun. Below you, fountains splash and traffic hums. Above you, the wall holds very little sound at all. Many people pass this hill without realising that they are looking at the remains of thousands of years of houses, each one built on the ruins of the one before.

This is the Citadel of Erbil, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Archaeologists call a hill like this a tell. A tell is a mound that grows over many centuries as people build, collapse and rebuild on the same spot. The citadel is not a natural hill. Under your feet are layers of mud brick, broken pottery and old floors, stacked over a very long span of human time.

The citadel is often described as one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on Earth. That claim is hard to prove with precision, and scholars treat it with care. What is clear is that people have lived here for many thousands of years. Ancient written sources mention the city under names close to Urbilum and Arbela. The modern name, Erbil, comes down from those early forms.

In the time of the Assyrian empire, Arbela was an important religious centre. It was known for its temple of Ishtar, a powerful goddess of love and war in ancient Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia is the old name for the lands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Kings came to Arbela to seek the goddess's favour before campaigns. The temple itself has not been fully uncovered, and much of that ancient city still lies buried inside the mound.

Here is a surprise for many visitors. One of the most famous battles of the ancient world is linked to this city's name. In 331 BCE, Alexander the Great defeated the Persian king Darius the Third at Gaugamela, a plain not far from here. Some old histories call it the Battle of Arbela, because Arbela was the nearest well-known city. After the battle, Darius fled, and the Persian empire soon fell to Alexander.

Now look at the wall again. It does not look like a castle wall built by soldiers. That is because, in large part, it is not one. The outer ring of the citadel is formed by the back walls of houses, pressed tightly side by side. Most of the buildings you see today date from the Ottoman period, roughly from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Together, those houses created a defensive edge for the whole community.

Walk up the slope to the main gate on the south side. This is the side that faces the modern city centre. As you climb, notice how the noise of the square fades behind you. The ramp has carried people, animals and goods up and down this hill for generations. At the top, the gateway opens onto narrow lanes, and the temperature of the stone changes under your hand as you move from sun into shade.

Inside, the citadel was traditionally divided into neighbourhoods. Sources usually name three of them: Saray, Takya and Topkhana. Each had its own character and its own families. The lanes were narrow on purpose. They kept the sun off the walls and kept the houses cool in the hot summers of northern Iraq. Many houses turned inward toward private courtyards, with plain walls to the street and life hidden inside.

Here is a second surprise. For a time, almost no one lived here. In 2006, most residents were moved out so that the citadel could be studied and restored. Many of the old houses were in poor condition, and some were close to collapse. According to widely shared reports, one family was allowed to stay, so that the long story of human life on the mound would not be broken completely. Locals still tell this story with pride.

In 2014, the citadel was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO is the United Nations body that recognises places of outstanding value to all of humanity. Since then, restoration work has continued in stages. As you walk, you may see fresh brick beside old, worn brick, and scaffolding against some walls. The repair is slow and careful, because each house is part of a much older whole.

Look for the small museums and restored buildings inside. The Kurdish Textile Museum is one of the best known. It shows woven rugs, felt and textiles from Kurdish communities, including nomadic groups who moved with their flocks across the mountains. The colours are deep reds, blues and earthy browns. You may also find an old bathhouse, called a hammam, and a historic mosque within the walls. These buildings show how daily life, faith and craft all lived side by side.

Walk to the edge of the citadel and look out over the city. From up here, you can see how modern Erbil spreads in rings around this one old hill. Below the south side lies the covered Qaysari bazaar, with its smells of spices, tea, nuts and fresh bread. Many roads still point toward the mound, like spokes toward the centre of a wheel. The city grew outward, but its heart stayed here.

Before you leave, pause in one of the quiet lanes. Listen to the wind moving between the empty doorways. Run your eyes along a single brick and think of the many hands that laid bricks on this hill before it. When you walk back down the ramp, the noise of the square will return. Turn once and look up at the curved wall... and remember that the hill itself is the oldest building in the city.