3.2 The Study Area
3.2.1 Iraq
The area of today’s Iraq is the location where the first important civilizations
formed (Ur 2000). Due to its long history, Iraq is very rich in valuable historical
monuments. Large numbers of monuments are unfortunately in very bad condition.
An urgent need for the preservation of the most important architectural monuments
arose in connection with the post-war reconstruction of the Iraqi culture. Architectural monuments were often damaged by the war and today even simple preservation is impossible. Most of the architectural monuments suffered from a lack of
interest from state authorities under Saddam Hussein’s Republic and their condition, even before the latest conflict ended, can be described as critical in most cases.
Now, after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the situation, unfortunately, isn’t
any better; many areas are affected with civil or religious unrest. Research, restoration of monuments and their protection is often very dangerous and, together with
the lack of finance and experts, impossible. In the last decade, many Czech
expeditions aimed for archaeological prospection and monuments restoration
were carried out in the northern part of Iraq, in the Kurdish autonomous region.
Iraqi Kurdistan has its own regional government in Erbil, which is the largest city in
the north, after Mosul.
3.2.2 Erbil
Erbil is an ancient, originally Sumerian and Assyrian city located in the foothills of
the eastern Iraqi mountains. Historically, the centre of Erbil (ancient Urbilum,
Arbela, Arbil or Irbil) belongs to the towns with the longest settlement continuity
in the world. The city began to gain importance during the Neo-Assyrian period
(tenth to seventh centuries BC). The city was a religious centre of the cult of Istar of
Arbela (Porter 2004) and a royal residence of King Assurbanipal (669–627 BC).
Nearby was also a legendary battle in which Alexander the Great defeated the
Persians and opened the way to Babylon; the headquarters of Persian King Dareios
was directly in Erbil (the Battle of Arbela or Gaugamela, 331 BC).
Erbil (also written as Arbil or Irbil and known as Hewler) is the capital city of the
Erbil (Kurdish Hewler) province and is located in the northeastern part of Iraq,
77 km east of Mosul. Thanks to its location, it is the big Kurdish commercial,
cultural, agricultural and administrative centre of the region, with a main railway
station and the intersection of roads leading to Turkey, Syria and Iran. Erbil is the
fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. In the historic centre of
Erbil, there are two world-renowned historical monuments: the minaret Choli and
the Al-Qala Citadel (Morris 1979) The Al-Qala Citadel in Erbil is one of the oldest
continuously inhabited urban settlements in the world. According to ICOMOS data,
3 Combining Different Data Sources for City Growth Analysis. . .
41
3.2.1 Iraq
The area of today’s Iraq is the location where the first important civilizations
formed (Ur 2000). Due to its long history, Iraq is very rich in valuable historical
monuments. Large numbers of monuments are unfortunately in very bad condition.
An urgent need for the preservation of the most important architectural monuments
arose in connection with the post-war reconstruction of the Iraqi culture. Architectural monuments were often damaged by the war and today even simple preservation is impossible. Most of the architectural monuments suffered from a lack of
interest from state authorities under Saddam Hussein’s Republic and their condition, even before the latest conflict ended, can be described as critical in most cases.
Now, after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the situation, unfortunately, isn’t
any better; many areas are affected with civil or religious unrest. Research, restoration of monuments and their protection is often very dangerous and, together with
the lack of finance and experts, impossible. In the last decade, many Czech
expeditions aimed for archaeological prospection and monuments restoration
were carried out in the northern part of Iraq, in the Kurdish autonomous region.
Iraqi Kurdistan has its own regional government in Erbil, which is the largest city in
the north, after Mosul.
3.2.2 Erbil
Erbil is an ancient, originally Sumerian and Assyrian city located in the foothills of
the eastern Iraqi mountains. Historically, the centre of Erbil (ancient Urbilum,
Arbela, Arbil or Irbil) belongs to the towns with the longest settlement continuity
in the world. The city began to gain importance during the Neo-Assyrian period
(tenth to seventh centuries BC). The city was a religious centre of the cult of Istar of
Arbela (Porter 2004) and a royal residence of King Assurbanipal (669–627 BC).
Nearby was also a legendary battle in which Alexander the Great defeated the
Persians and opened the way to Babylon; the headquarters of Persian King Dareios
was directly in Erbil (the Battle of Arbela or Gaugamela, 331 BC).
Erbil (also written as Arbil or Irbil and known as Hewler) is the capital city of the
Erbil (Kurdish Hewler) province and is located in the northeastern part of Iraq,
77 km east of Mosul. Thanks to its location, it is the big Kurdish commercial,
cultural, agricultural and administrative centre of the region, with a main railway
station and the intersection of roads leading to Turkey, Syria and Iran. Erbil is the
fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul. In the historic centre of
Erbil, there are two world-renowned historical monuments: the minaret Choli and
the Al-Qala Citadel (Morris 1979) The Al-Qala Citadel in Erbil is one of the oldest
continuously inhabited urban settlements in the world. According to ICOMOS data,
3 Combining Different Data Sources for City Growth Analysis. . .
41