ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil Citadel’s main street is under construction and scheduled to be completed in mid-March next year, funded by UNESCO and a public figure from the Kurdistan Region. Around 70 workers are working on the infrastructure of the main street and the renovation is scheduled to be completed in mid-March next year and the castle gates will be opened to tourists again. Besides renovating the main street, seating spots for tourists will be built in several places along the street. “We will repair the whole ground together, and put small stones in it, " Issam Shakir, a worker, told Rudaw’s Payam Sarbast on Wednesday. “The workers and craftsmen are skilled enough to get the job done,” Bafrin Abdulqadir, site director and chief engineer of the restoration of Erbil Citadel, told Rudaw. The restoration process began in 2007, but due to the financial crisis and the arrival of the Islamic State (ISIS), work was brought to a halt. Now, although the restoration process continues, the development is proceeding slowly due to the lack of budget. According to the predictions of the high commission for Erbil citadel revitalization, it may take another 20 years to complete the restoration of the castle. “Due to the financial crisis, most of our work stopped, but now many activities are happening with the support of our brother and Erbil public figure, Sheikh Baz Barzanji, and UNESCO are paying the wages of the workers through a budget surplus for a previous project they had,” Nihad Latif Qoja, Head of the high commission for Erbil citadel revitalization, said. 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 are ongoing. Millions of tourists, mostly from Iraqi central and southern provinces, visit the Kurdistan Region annually, with the majority choosing Erbil province as their destination.
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