owner, the thickness of wall is around 36 cm. The minaret lost its upper part a long
time ago. Since then, it has been opened for weathering and particularly for
rainwater leakage. A large extent of precious historic fragments of renderings and
embossments were identified on the lower part of the object. A particularly largescale discovery of stucco decoration was found in niches of the tower. All fragments of stucco decorations were seriously affected by weathering and mechanical
damage. The Choli minaret was in detail documented using photogrammetry and
other geodetic methods (Pavelka et al. 2007; Kra ´lova ´ 2008) and after this was
successfully restored by the Czech firm GemaArt (Justa 2005).
Other expeditions were focused on the northern part of Kurdistan, Dalal Bridge
in Zakho (Pavelka 2009) and on archaeological research in Amadı ´ja or on lost cities
on the Turkish border (Nova ´c ˇek and Su ˚vova ´ 2011).
3.3 Methods
3.3.1 Data Sources
Many sites have been irretrievably destroyed due to the Erbil growth and a proper
study of the historical information may revive it again. There are old sketches,
maps, aerial and satellite images for this purpose (Ioannides et al. 2012).
3.3.1.1 Old Maps and Sketches
Only very few of older maps and sketches were available. Processing of these old
materials are difficult, although they have mostly historical values (Fig. 3.1a). Some
information is of course important for our aim.
3.3.1.2 Aerial and Terrestrial Photographs
In Iraq, there are no modern photogrammetric aerial photographs at disposal. A few
interesting old photos have been preserved, like photo in Fig.3.1b – it shows the
original south gate, which was destroyed during Saddam Husain’s regime and a
bridge over a deep wadi that no longer exists today (Verhoeven et al. 2012). On
Fig. 3.2a the best-preserved aerial photo with a lot of details is shown; aerial camera
parameters are unknown (Wilson 2000). This photo is one from the only preserved
stereo-pairs, taken during the Royal Air Force mission in January 1951. This stereopair is archived in the John Bradford papers in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University
of Oxford, no.1998.296.67 and 68. A collection of oblique aerial images gives some
added details. As example oblique’s aerial images from 1973 (Fig.3.2b) and from
1933 (Fig. 3.3) have been found (Wilkinson 2008).
44
K. Pavelka and E. Matous ˇkova ´
time ago. Since then, it has been opened for weathering and particularly for
rainwater leakage. A large extent of precious historic fragments of renderings and
embossments were identified on the lower part of the object. A particularly largescale discovery of stucco decoration was found in niches of the tower. All fragments of stucco decorations were seriously affected by weathering and mechanical
damage. The Choli minaret was in detail documented using photogrammetry and
other geodetic methods (Pavelka et al. 2007; Kra ´lova ´ 2008) and after this was
successfully restored by the Czech firm GemaArt (Justa 2005).
Other expeditions were focused on the northern part of Kurdistan, Dalal Bridge
in Zakho (Pavelka 2009) and on archaeological research in Amadı ´ja or on lost cities
on the Turkish border (Nova ´c ˇek and Su ˚vova ´ 2011).
3.3 Methods
3.3.1 Data Sources
Many sites have been irretrievably destroyed due to the Erbil growth and a proper
study of the historical information may revive it again. There are old sketches,
maps, aerial and satellite images for this purpose (Ioannides et al. 2012).
3.3.1.1 Old Maps and Sketches
Only very few of older maps and sketches were available. Processing of these old
materials are difficult, although they have mostly historical values (Fig. 3.1a). Some
information is of course important for our aim.
3.3.1.2 Aerial and Terrestrial Photographs
In Iraq, there are no modern photogrammetric aerial photographs at disposal. A few
interesting old photos have been preserved, like photo in Fig.3.1b – it shows the
original south gate, which was destroyed during Saddam Husain’s regime and a
bridge over a deep wadi that no longer exists today (Verhoeven et al. 2012). On
Fig. 3.2a the best-preserved aerial photo with a lot of details is shown; aerial camera
parameters are unknown (Wilson 2000). This photo is one from the only preserved
stereo-pairs, taken during the Royal Air Force mission in January 1951. This stereopair is archived in the John Bradford papers in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University
of Oxford, no.1998.296.67 and 68. A collection of oblique aerial images gives some
added details. As example oblique’s aerial images from 1973 (Fig.3.2b) and from
1933 (Fig. 3.3) have been found (Wilkinson 2008).
44
K. Pavelka and E. Matous ˇkova ´