Kurdistan
George Muammaris, the director of the French Institute of the Near East in Erbil, in an interview with Rudaw's Nwenar Fatih on November 1, 2023. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The director of the French Institute of the Near East in Erbil revealed on Wednesday that archeological discoveries were found in Erbil’s historic citadel dating back to thousands of years.
In an interview with Rudaw’s Nwenar Fatih, George Muammaris said that “nine French missions currently operate in the Kurdistan Region to explore archeological remains from prehistoric times to the Islamic periods,” and pointed out that his institute focuses on heritage preservation and excavation projects.
According to Muammaris, a cuneiform inscription was found in the upper section of the citadel for the first time, dating back to the middle of the second millennium BC. It is the first written document found in the city of Erbil and represents a “very important discovery.”
The institute is working on a project to conduct excavations in the heart of Erbil Citadel for the first time, despite the 30-meter-high citadel presenting challenges to exploring archeological layers, with the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Erbil citadel was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014. The citadel is located in the downtown of Erbil and dates back to 4,000 years BC. Renovation efforts began around 2009 and it is still continuous.
It overlooks Shar Square and the central bazaar and is a popular destination for tourists and locals with a souvenir shop, textile, and geology museum.
Millions of tourists, mostly from Iraqi central and southern provinces, visit the Kurdistan Region annually, with most of them choosing Erbil province.
The Kurdistan Region and France have enjoyed good ties for decades. France was one of the first countries to open a consulate in the Kurdish capital after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, and played a critical role in helping Kurds both in Iraq and Syria in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS), including by supplying arms and training to Kurdish forces in both countries.
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