Located in an expansive cemetery in the centre of Baghdad is the more prominent tomb what is positioned on the west side of the Tigris river. The tomb is constructed of brick and has a nine-layered, cone-shaped muqarnas what is topped by a small cupola . The cupola has a octagonal base what is like imam Dur in samara and has great height giving the it the distinctive structure it retains. The current entrance to the tomb is from a square-planned, domed structure what is a replacement of the original. A staircase leads to the base of the muqarnas dome, thought a corridor the burial chamber can be reached. A beautiful glowing effect is given from the small holes In the muqarnas. The mosque compound is rectangular and entered from three decorative openings in a passageway from the old souk that adjoins to the northeast, An inscriptive plaque above the central portal commemorates a restoration by a certain Ibrahim in 1923 (1342 A.H.). There is also a library and the house of the imam that surrounds the courtyard. In the interior are two great pillars which provide support the dome.The five sided mihrab sections and the lower sections of the piers have been decorated with floral tiles however the tile decoration of the stone minbar was largely removed during renovations. 

Due to the mosque being dominated by Hanafi group, the shafai members had no where to go so an extension was added to the north west side which is known as the Shafai Masjid. It is adjoined by the Shafai Madrasa, a small vaulted room located next to it, occupying the western corner of the courtyard is the tomb of Ismail bin Kazim. Privy chambers and an ablution hall were added at a later date to the northwest side of the courtyard.

The compound was restored in 1590 (999 A.H.) by Cigalazade Sinan Pasha and in 1969 by the Iraqi Directorate of Waqfs. The mausoleum has been restored periodically throughout its lifespan. The

Written by Aymen Jawad

Located on the Tigris River, this brick double story madrasa measures 106 by 48 meters and is organized around a central courtyard. The madrasa could be entered through a triple door opening and another triple door led from the courtyard into the musalla (prayer room), or prayer hall. These entrances exhibited arabesque-sculpted terracotta and geometric patterned masonry work, presenting botanical theme that recall earlier Abbasid and as far back as the Umayyad motifs. The brick façade of the Madrasa a features decorated square rosette plugs designed in a geometric configuration, also an inscribed band is seen on the plane facing the river that refers to an 1865 Ottoman restoration by Sultan 'Abd al-'Aziz, replacing the original. 

The building was neglected after the fifteenth century and it’s a tradey that the madrasa was used as a khan, a hospital and eventually army barracks. There was attempt to restore the historic monument in 1945 and more recently the immediate commercial area around the madrasa has been demolished to return the site to its original borders. Nearby buildings included the Saray souq, the Baghdadi Museum, Mutanabbi Street, the Abbasid Palace and Caliph's Street. Now the university is relocated in new campus after restructuring

Written by Aymen Jawad

The palace presents a impressing central courtyard, it contains many stunning arches and muqarnases in addition the remarkable ewan all carried out with brick work including the ceiling and facade. More recently parts of the palace where reconstructed and a new ewan was built to face it. Due to there being strong similarity beterrn the palace and Al-Mustansereyya School, many old Arab historians believe it is actually the Sharabiya School, a school for Islamic theology built in the 12th century. Opposite the magnificent ewan to the east, the western section of the court opened into a large hall that functioned as a musalla, a place to pray. This is further proof that it functioned as a madrasa rather than a palace.it is said that Parts of the building were reconstructed and where upon a collection of historical remains were exhibited in it representing certain stages of the country's Arab Islamic history.

We have to ensure we do not confuse the palace in baghdad with the Abbasid palace in Samarra was built by Abbasid caliph Al-Mu'tasim in 836, when he moved his capital from Baghdad to Samarra. It is one of the largest Abbasid era palaces to have survived to this day. The Palace is regarded as one of the most prominent historical landmarks of the city of samara together with the Grand mosque of Sammara and the Al-Askariyyain shrine.

Written by Aymen Jawad

The palace presents a impressing central courtyard, it contains many stunning arches and muqarnases in addition the remarkable ewan all carried out with brick work including the ceiling and facade. More recently parts of the palace where reconstructed and a new ewan was built to face it. Due to there being strong similarity beterrn the palace and Al-Mustansereyya School, many old Arab historians believe it is actually the Sharabiya School, a school for Islamic theology built in the 12th century. Opposite the magnificent ewan to the east, the western section of the court opened into a large hall that functioned as a musalla, a place to pray. This is further proof that it functioned as a madrasa rather than a palace.it is said that Parts of the building were reconstructed and where upon a collection of historical remains were exhibited in it representing certain stages of the country's Arab Islamic history.

We have to ensure we do not confuse the palace in baghdad with the Abbasid palace in Samarra was built by Abbasid caliph Al-Mu'tasim in 836, when he moved his capital from Baghdad to Samarra. It is one of the largest Abbasid era palaces to have survived to this day. The Palace is regarded as one of the most prominent historical landmarks of the city of samara together with the Grand mosque of Sammara and the Al-Askariyyain shrine.

Written by Aymen Jawad

Water came to Agargoaf from a large river branched out of the Euphrates called by the Babylonian "Bitty Inlil" - the canal of the god Inlil, one of the greatest in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon.

The city's great ziggurat, built by the Kassites during the rule of King Kurigalzo II (1344-1324 BC), though partially ruined, commands the view with its 57 m height over the surrounding plain. Its base was 69x67 m.

Only the lower level has survived, reinforced by an outer brick wall, with parts of the inner mud-brick core still protruding high above it. To hold the structure together matting and ropes were used every 8 or 9 rows, which also protected it from seepage and damp. The first story has 3 staircases in the middle, and 2 on the sides.

Other remains to see there are a number of palaces, temples, and living quarters. Indications are that the city was inhabited right through the later Babylonian age and, in parts, in Islamic times.

What impression the magnificent city of Babylon made upon the exiles can only be imagined. Nebuchadrezzar had made Babylon into one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This great metropolis straddled the Euphrates and was surrounded by a moat and huge walls 85 feet thick with massive reinforcing towers. Eight gates led into the city, the most important being the double gate of Ishtar with a blue facade adorned with alternating rows of yellow and white bulls and dragons. Through the Ishtar gate a broad, paved, processional street known as "Marduk's Way" passed between high walls, past Nebuchadrezzar's palace and the famous "hanging gardens" to the ziggurat of Marduk, the national god. This tremendous brick structure named E-temen-an-ki, "the House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth," was 300 feet square at the base and rose in eight successive stages to a height of 300 feet. The Ishtar Gate is located in babylon 55 miles south of baghdad, it is one of the eight gates of the inner city of Babylon and was constructed during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (604- 562 BC). Only the foundations of the gate were found, going down some 45 feet, with molded, unglazed figures. The gateway were reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, from the glazed bricks found, so its original height is different in size. Reconstructed height is 47 feet.

It was constructed in about 575 BCand was the eighth fortified gate in the city. It is one of the most impressive monuments rediscovered in the ancient Near East. The Ishtar gate was decorated with glazed brick reliefs, in tiers, of dragons and young bulls. The gate itself was a double one, and on its south side was a vast antechamber. Through the gatehouse ran a stone-and brick-paved avenue, the so-called Processional Way, which has been traced over a length of more than half a mile. King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon dedicated the great Ishtar Gate to the goddess Ishtar. It was the main entrance into Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar II performed elaborate building projects in Babylon around 604-562 BC. His goal was to beautify his capital. He restored the temple of Marduk, the chief god, and also built himself a magnificent palace with the famous Hanging Gardens, which was reported by the Greek historian Herodotus to have been one of the wonders of the world.TheBible records that it was Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed Jerusalem, brought the kingdom of Judah to an end, and carried off the Jews into exile. The Ishtar Gate was the starting point for processions. The Babylonians would assemble in front of it and march through the triumphal arch and proceed along the Sacred Way to the 7-story Ziggurat, which was crowned near the temple of Marduk.Thegateway was completely covered with beautifully colored glazed bricks. Its reliefs of dragons and bulls symbolized the gods Marduk and Adad. Enameled tiles of glorious blue surrounded the brightly colored yellow and brown beasts. In front of the gateway outside the city was a road with walls decorated with reliefs of lions and glazed yellow tiles. The Ishtar gate was reconstructed in Berlin out of material excavated by Robert Koldeway.

The Dedicatory Inscription on the Ishtar Gate reads:

Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the faithful prince appointed by the will of Marduk, the highest of princely princes, beloved of Nabu, of prudent counsel, who has learned to embrace wisdom, who fathomed their divine being and reveres their majesty, the untiring governor, who always takes to heart the care of the cult of Esagila and Ezida and is constantly concerned with the well-being of Babylon and Borsippa, the wise, the humble, the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, the firstborn son of Nabopolassar, the King of Babylon.Bothgate entrances of Imgur-Ellil and Nemetti-Ellil following the filling of the street from Babylon had become increasingly lower. Therefore, I pulled down these gates and laid their foundations at the water table with asphalt and bricks and had them made of bricks with blue stone on which wonderful bulls and dragons were depicted. I covered their roofs by laying majestic cedars length-wise over them. I hung doors of cedar adorned with bronze at all the gate openings. I placed wild bulls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor so that people might gaze on them in wonderIlet the temple of Esiskursiskur (the highest festival house of Markduk, the Lord of the Gods a place of joy and celebration for the major and minor gods) be built firm like a mountain in the precinct of Babylon of asphalt and fired bricks. 

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The internal area is also square from each corner are suports that hold the octagonal structure. From this a five-tiered muqarnas dome climbs to a great height with a small, fluted cupola. The decor recalls the Abbasid period due to the tomb's interior which has stucco ornamentation. Written by Aymen Jawad

One of the largest and best-preserved ziggurats of Mesopotamia is the great Ziggurat at Ur. Small excavations occurred at the site around the turn of the twentieth century, and in the 1920s Sir Leonard Woolley, in a joint project with the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia and the British Museum in London, revealed the monument in its entirety.

What Woolley found was a massive rectangular pyramidal structure, oriented to true North, 210 by 150 feet, constructed with three levels of terraces, standing originally between 70 and 100 feet high. Three monumental staircases led up to a gate at the first terrace level. Next, a single staircase rose to a second terrace which supported a platform on which a temple and the final and highest terrace stood. The core of the ziggurat is made of mud brick covered with baked bricks laid with bitumen, a naturally occurring tar. Each of the baked bricks measured about 11.5 x 11.5 x 2.75 inches and weighed as much as 33 pounds. The lower portion of the ziggurat, which supported the first terrace, would have used some 720,000 baked bricks. The resources needed to build the Ziggurat at Ur are staggering.

The Ziggurat at Ur and the temple on its top were built around 2100 B.C.E. by the king Ur-Nammu of the Third Dynasty of Ur for the moon goddess Nanna, the divine patron of the city state. The structure would have been the highest point in the city by far and, like the spire of a medieval cathedral, would have been visible for miles around, a focal point for travelers and the pious alike. As the Ziggurat supported the temple of the patron god of the city of Ur, it is likely that it was the place where the citizens of Ur would bring agricultural surplus and where they would go to receive their regular food allotments. In antiquity, to visit the ziggurat at Ur was to seek both spiritual and physical nourishment.

Clearly the most important part of the ziggurat at Ur was the Nanna temple at its top, but this, unfortunately, has not survived. Some blue glazed bricks have been found which archaeologists suspect might have been part of the temple decoration. The lower parts of the ziggurat, which do survive, include amazing details of engineering and design. For instance, because the unbaked mud brick core of the temple would, according to the season, be alternatively more or less damp, the architects included holes through the baked exterior layer of the temple allowing water to evaporate from its core. Additionally, drains were built into the ziggurat’s terraces to carry away the winter rains.

The Ziggurat at Ur has been restored twice. The first restoration was in antiquity. The last Neo-Babylonian king, Nabodinus, apparently replaced the two upper terraces of the structure in the 6th century B.C.E. Some 2400 years later in the 1980s, Saddam Hussein restored the façade of the massive lower foundation of the ziggurat, including the three monumental staircases leading up to the gate at the first terrace. Since this most recent restoration, however, the Ziggurat at Ur has experienced some damage. During the recent war led by American and coalition forces, Saddam Hussein parked his MiG fighter jets next to the Ziggurat, believing that the bombers would spare them for fear of destroying the ancient site. Hussein’s assumptions proved only partially true as the ziggurat sustained some damage from American and coalition bombardment.

Written by Dr. Senta German

Basically, the Citadel is an elliptical shaped town covering slightly more than 10 hectares of dense fabric composed mainly of traditional courtyard houses and built in ochre-colored bricks. In addition, there are several important public buildings such as 3 mosques, a public bath (Hammam), 7 historic graves, two gates, and several open urban spaces. The residential quarters are reached by a labyrinthine network of narrow pedestrian alleyways which spread out in a tree-like pattern from the main Southern Gate.

Today, there are about 330 houses from a total of about 500 that possess important cultural and architectural interest. Some houses, public buildings, and urban spaces, have authentic cultural values and show remarkable ingenuity and resourcefulness in local architectural traditions. To walk through its meandering pedestrian alleyways and experience the exhilarating visual and spatial qualities of its traditional architecture, the Citadel is truly a remarkable human achievement. It deserves the full support of all humanity to preserve its unique character for the enjoyment of all, and to ensure its survival for future generations.

By and large, the Citadel Town of Erbil has maintained its overall urban form and architectural character over the past several millennia. Although, like most other historic towns, there have been some rebuilding and new additions over the years it has, nevertheless, kept its essential physical elements such as its perimeter wall, urban pattern and overall aesthetic and architectural qualities. The Citadel is today one of the most dramatic and visually exciting cultural sites not only in the Middle East but also in the world.

In order to preserve and enhance this unique historic town the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) established the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization (HCECR) in 2007. An official agreement with Unesco was signed in September 2007 to advise the Commission on this project and to prepare a "Conservation Master Plan" for the Citadel. It is hoped that soon the Citadel will undergo systematic and careful measures and actions for its restoration, rehabilitation, and revitalization.

Although there are many fortified and military citadels in the world today, there are only a few surviving citadel towns anywhere. Erbil Citadel is unmatched in the region not only because of its nearly 7000 years history but also because it is a town inhabited by people and not a military structure like the citadels of Cairo, Aleppo, Damascus, Amman, etc. The only comparable town citadel in Iraq and elsewhere in the region was perhaps the citadel of Kirkuk (North of Iraq) that was, unfortunately, almost totally demolished in the late 1990s by the central government.

Thus, Erbil Citadel represents a unique example of a town that has nested on top of a hill for several millennia and has, since then, not only accumulated numerous and important archaeological layers within but also possesses a very important traditional architectural and urban heritage . As such, it deserves to be included on the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites and hopefully, later on, on the World Heritage Sites List.

Source: UNESCO

Shanasheel in the Arabic language: شناشيل is the Arabic term used for a projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework with stain glass, usually only seen on the second story of a building and higher. The mashrabiywhat is sometimes called a shanshoolor a rushan is an element of traditional Arabic architecture used since the middle ages and is still being used today. The most common position is for it to be facing the street however it is also seen  on the inside of an Iwan or sahan(open hall ). Mashrabiya were most commonly used in houses and palaces however they can be ocationally be seen in public buildings such as hospitals, schools and government buildings. The projecting window  was mainly seen mashriqeast of the Arab world, but some types of similar windows are also found in the maghribthe west of the Arab world. They are very common in Iraq, Hejaz and Egypt however they were not seen everywhere, they are mainly found in urban settings such as Basra what is famous for such design.

The name is derived from the word mashrabiya what denotes drinking and was based on a shelve for drinking water pots to be stored. The shelve was designed so that it was enclosed by wood and possitioned in the window in order for the water to stay cool. This area due to its importance then evolved to being part of the room.Another theory is that the name comes from mashrafiya, derived from the verb Ashrafa, what means to overlook or to observe. During the centuries the name slowly changed due to changing accents and influence of non-Arabs speaking Arabic.There is no specific time it can be dated back to; however the earliest evidence on use of the Mashrabiya as it currently is dates back to the twelfth century in Baghdad during the Abbasid period. Most current examples are from the late nineteenth century and early to mid twentieth century even though some Mashrabiyas can be found that are three or four hundred years old not much attention has been paid to their restoration or maintenance.

Written by Aymen Jawad

Ctesiphon was once a sumptuous capital near the shifting banks of the meandering Tigris River about 20 miles south of modern Baghdad, now no more than the dusty shell of a palace with, miraculously, one great vault still arching across the dull monotony of the arid plain.  The Construction began during the rule of Khosrau I after a campaign against the Byzantines in 540 AD. In 1888 it suffered from floods destroying a third of the ruins. The arched iwan (hall), open on the facade side measures approximately 37 meters high 26 meters across and 50 meters long. It was the largest vault ever constructed at the time. The arches of the vault were constructed over empty space without the use of temporary works a technique not uncommon in Mesopotamia however remarkable on such a large scale.It was during the rule of the Sassanians that the great palace called by the Arabs Taq-e Kisra was built at Ctesiphon. Some archeologists believe it dates back as early as the fourth century but local Arab tradition holds that it was constructed during the time of King Khusrau I who reigned from 590 until 628 when the city was devastated by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius. Tradition also says that the facade of the mud palace was covered with gold and silver and that beneath the great vault lay a vast carpet woven to resemble a garden, with silver paths, streams of pearls, and flowers of emeralds. Some splendid murals, at least, are known to have remained intact as late as the 9th century.

The empty vault of mud brick that stands today is a far cry from the splendor envisioned in the legends but what remains of Ctesiphon is enough to stir the imagination still. One eminent world traveler and writer has called it "... one of the most impressive architectural constructions that I know.” The arches of the vault were constructed, in fact, over empty space without the use of temporary wooden centering—a technique not uncommon in Mesopotamia, but amazing on such a scale. The lower portion of the vault was built according to the corbel principle. Thin mud bricks were stepped inward in successive horizontal courses, each projecting a bit further over the hall. in Khusrau's palace the bricks had a slight backward slant against the end walls, although the corbel arch, unlike the true arch, exerts no outward thrust but is held up by the sheer weight of these massive walls on each side. At approximately half height the construction changed to the normal arch principle. The successive brick arches which form the vault had staggered joints to provide sufficient bond which, together with the steep parabolic shape of the arch, allowed its construction without complete centering from the ground. The Sassanians were masters of the art and constructed other huge vaults such as the one—now collapsed—at Firuzabad in Iran. The span of the vault at Ctesiphon is 82 feet and at the crown it is 120 feet above the ground.

The vault is open to the east, to make a kind of open porch or iwan common in later Muslim architecture, and the Sassanid builders may have inspired the vaulted entrances of later Persian mosques. Attached to the vault at Ctesiphon, one wall of the south wing of the palace also remains. On the interior side of this wall can be seen the toothings of smaller vaults for the original two upper floors which have collapsed.

The neo-Persian Empire ended with the fall of the Sassanid dynasty in the 7th century. One of the final blows came in 637 A.D. when Arabs occupied Ctesiphon and Seleucia which they called al-Madam, the "capitals". They used the decaying buildings as quarries for building materials but the great palace still stood and was used for a while as an improvised mosque. When the Abbasids decided in the 8th century to build their capital at Madinet as-Salam, "the city of peace" (present-day Baghdad), they abandoned what was left of the two cities. Caliph al-Mansur even wanted to destroy the palace of Khusrau but happily, his Persian adviser was able to dissuade him by arguing that demolition costs would be too high.

Wadi Al-Salam Cemetery in Najaf

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

The universal value in this cemetery lies in being one of the oldest graves of Muslims as the area makes it one of the largest cemeteries in the world as well as the presence of the shrine of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Also there were graves for many prophets, kings, princes and Sultans. Wadi Al-Salam cemetery is the only cemetery in the world which is so far, the process of burial is still continuing to day since more than 1400 years.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

The cemetery is an authentic site did not extend a hand of modernity and change, though plagued by the evidence that there are customs and traditions tide to deal with the cemetery and made it a place with a particular sanctity cannot by pass it or use in a way effects in its authenticity and the integrity of the site is guaranteed with religious beliefs practiced by Muslims, and which require respect for the sanctity of the grave and surrounding it with holiness, especially as there is a special law protecting the site, General Endowment Act, No.64 of 1966, as amended. And law No.40, of 1999.

Usually, graves of guardians and dutifuls were consider the center for the emergence of religious cities and a place frequented by people for the visit and blessing. Mainly be a center to bury the dead as was the case in Wadi Al-Salam cemetery in Najaf. After the burial of the prince of believers, Ali Ibn Abi Talib (660-40), it is the second cemetery established in Islam after the cemetery of Baqi in Medina which included the graves of Muslims in that period, including the companions of the prophet Mohammed, But Wadi Al-Salam cemetery contains graves built with baked bricks and plaster and it rises at different levels. While the graves of the cemetery of Baqi are low and are not built with any material and there are in the Muslims world today graves belonging to the dead Muslims just like the tomb of the cemetery in Egypt only those that cemetery on the capacity did not arise because buried one of the companions or guardians. As happened in the cemetery of Wadi Al-Salam as well as the tomb of the cemetery in Egypt used by poor people to live and exercise their daily lives, while we find Wadi Al-Salam cemetery even in the darkest circumstances of Iraq and unstable conditions of economic and social developments has not taken a place to live at all. Wadi Al-Salam cemetery have instances, but smaller in area and less well known as the cemetery of Karbala, and there are cemeteries which specific events showing them such as the cemetery of Al-Ghrabaa (strangers) in Damascus, which has set up for the burial of Muslims who emigrated from Iraq for political reason and their families were unable to transfer their remains to the Wadi Al-Salam cemetery in Najaf, which the process of burial in it still continue and daily since more than 1400 years. Where, as we find in other cemeteries that the burial was suspended or repeal as a result of depletion of the area allocated to it or urbanization, such as (Area) cemetery in Baghdad and Samarra cemetery. For that reason Wadi Al-Salam cemetery considers to be the oldest and biggest cemetery in the world, as well as the features of lasting and continuity.

Source: UNESCO

Delal Bridge

People all over Kurdistan visit the great Pira Delal as a monument of peace and a place for enjoyment. The name reflects the way the bridge is seen among the local people as well as tourists, the meaning of Pir means bridge and Delal means Beautiful. The monument has exceptional value from its uniqueness and magnificence. Written by Aymen Jawad

Economic migration between the 1960s and the 1980s had reduced the population to an estimated 250,000 by 1991. In 1993, Human Rights Watch estimated the rural population of the marshlands to be around 200,000, which took into account the huge numbers of army deserters and political opponents seeking shelter in the region after 1991. Today, there may be as few as 20,000 of the original inhabitants remaining, the rest having fled or migrated to Iran and elsewhere, while an estimated minimum of 100,000 have become internally displaced in Iraq. Until the 1950s, the traditional subsistence lifestyle of the Ma'dan had hardly been disturbed. As recently as the 1990s, they were still using marsh reeds to construct delicately arched dwellings on artificial islands and waterways. They lived on fish and water buffalo that lived in the marshes and exported the surplus to other parts of Iraq. Their largely self-sufficient economy, structured around the aquatic environment, was based on the traditional occupations of fishing, cultivation, buffalo breeding, and reed gathering (from which a cane handicrafts industry evolved). The marshes began to decline in the 1950s as dam-building in Syria and Turkey attenuated the river flows, but the process accelerated dramatically in the 1990s after the Persian Gulf War, when Hussein built giant canals and drains nearby. Migration to urban centers, whether for permanent or seasonal work, accounted also for much of the reduction in the size of the indigenous population up to the late 1980s, when the government policies targeting the Marsh Arabs dramatically increased the pace of depopulation. Under the joint pressure of political neglect and modernization, it is now estimated that about 95 percent of the original marshland has become a crusty wasteland. Administratively, the marshlands cut across three of Iraq's eighteen provinces: Misan (originally al-`Amara), Dhi Qar (originally al-Nasiriyya), and Basra. Geographically, the heartland of the marshes comprised three principal areas: a) the al-Hammar Marshes, located south of the Euphrates between al-Nasiriyya and Basra; b) the Central Marshes, located between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers in a triangular area bounded by al-Nasiriyya, al-Qurna, and Qal'at Salih, with a section further north around the city of al-`Amara (commonly known as the al-`Amara Marshes); and c) the al-Huwaizah Marshes, located east of the Tigris and extending into Iran (where they are known as the al-Azim Marshes).



Source: UNESCO

The city's significant geographical location had been troubled zones between the disputed forces of Medes, Persians and Assyrians since old history. Its placement on a hilltop had led the city to be ambitious for many forces throughout the history. The Medes were the first to concentrate on the city who adapted it as a capital for their Kingdom, then followed by Assyrian occupation in 855-824 B.C., and later the city was occupied by Parthian and Muslims.The long history of Amedy city, like other cities in Mesopotamia with different civilizations has left behind huge and valuable antiquities.

Amedy City has two ancient gates dating to the period of Amedy castle, the eastern Zebar Gate and the western Mosul or Saqava Gate which is directed toward Mosul city. The City has also some other important historical remains, e.g. Zorsorent temple, Parthian engraving, the Minaret, and Bahdinan Principality's flag.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

Criterion (i): As known historically, the urban human settlements ever existed were those in the anvient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Indus Valley, when the societies had elaborated religious, political and military hierarchies. The development of cities varied throughout successive civilization periods. However, there are a number of features of urban structure that were shered by the cities throughout different periods.

Researchers have linked the historical origins of cities to the defense functions. They asserted that the first city indicated in history was a military-based city. The fortification of a city involved the selection of the city site where there were fortress surrounded by walls and trenches, established towers, pillars and gates, and entrances designed in such a way that enhanced the city's hardness, defensive and offensive capability of standing against external raids. Cities took the form of circles and ovals. The agricultural lands were usually located outside cities. Elevated locations with difficult access were usually selected for the construction of citadels. The functions of many of these citadels were expanded politically and economically to become large cities.

By comparing these uniaue historical criteria with the evolution of Amedy City, it is evident that this city was not founded accidentally but there were some other factors that contributed to its establishment. What makes Amedy a unique city, is its location on a top of a hill plateau with its elliptical shape covering an area less than 1km2. In addition, the city has an outstanding urban structure and elements illustrated in its gates, walls and temple. Therefore the Amedy can be considered as a masterpiece of human creative genius that reflects human thinking in a certain historic period using natural landscape as a fortification tool.

Criterion (ii): Mosul gate is named after Mosul city because it is located towards it and leads to it, as the majority of comers to Amedy city were from Mosul. Therefore, it was crucial to take care of this gate, and some sculptures were engraved in order to create fear to the passersby, forcing them to realize the power of the city's rulers and sanctity. This style corresponds to the designs used by Mesopotamia's inhabitants, when they built the gates of their cities particularly in the Assyrian period. The gate has other historic features, for example the symbol of the God of Sun and the sculpture of the star. The use of this figure was known during the Assyrian period. Yhe symbols 9God of Sun and the star) are surrounded by two snakes with fabulous animal heads, similar to a wolf with large ears and open jaws, fighting against warriors wearing brocaded clothes which represent the Parthian warriors uniform. The innovative architectural design of Mosul gate, as well as the pictures and symbols that exist on itm are representing ancient beliefs and expressions. For these entities and other that the city has, Amedy City may well meet of the UNESCO requirements to become a world heritage site.

Criterion (iii): The historical stages that Amedy has went through indicate that it has had a remarkable political, administrative, commercial and cultural role and influence on the neighboring areas in different consecutive periods (especially between the 14th and 18th century). This influence became a rich subject for many writers, travelers, and researchers. The minaret of Amedy and its associated archaeological remains are evidence for this.

Criterion (vii): Amedy City is located on an elliptical hill top plateau that is not more that 1km2 and reaches 450m above the level of the surrounding areas. The distinctive and impressive shape and location of the city together woth the two mountains (Mateen and Gara) that surround it has made its landscape exceptional natural beauty. Therefore, these features ensure that this criterion is fulfilled.

Criterion (viii): Amedy City has very spectacular geological properties. It is located on a contiguous limestone bed of elliptical periphery that forms sharp cliffs on top of the Amedy high hill. The limestone bed belongs to the Pilaspi lismestone formation of Eocene age, The city war originally part of Mateen Mountain that was separated and settled far away as a result of geological processes which formed an elliptical rocky hill. Amedy is located on a contiguous limestone bed of elliptical periphery that forms sharp cliffs on top of the Amedy high hill. The limestone bed belongs to the Pilaspi limestone formation of Eocene age. The Pilapsi Formation was deposited in lagoonal marine environment 45 million years ago

The limestone in Amedy is laid on of younger rocks of the Upper Fars Formation. This formation consists of sand stones siltstones and mudstones which were deposited in the Upper Miocene age around 15 million years ago. The deposition of the Upper Fars Formation occurred in continental fluviatile environments.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

Authenticity:
The authentic features that the site are still kept (Mosel Gate, Minaret and the elliptical city site) have not been disturbed. The elliptical shape which is a part of the exceptional natural landscape beauty serves the site as area physical protection for the city.

Integrity:
The physical structure of the remaining properties (Mosel Gate amd Minaret) are in good condition and, the impact of deterioration are controlled, in addition the city elliptical shape on a hilltop plateau is representing the master piece that has been preserved. Furthermore, this elliptical shape of the city with its surrounding area gives the exceptional natural landscape beauty and representing the significant ongoing geological process in the land development platform since last 15 million years ago.

Comparison with other similar properties

There are four other inscribed World Heritage Sites in the world which partly have similar attributes:
Minaret and Archaeological remains of Jam - Afghanistan
Samara Archaeological city - Iraq
Purnulu National Park - Australia
Uluru-Kuta Tjuta National Park - Australia

Source: UNESCO

The total height of the dome is 17m, it raises about 8 m over the body of the structure. The internal part of the dome seems half-circular, the shrine's chamber is rectangular measured 5.10 X 10.60 m, It is accessible through 2 entrances in the northern wall where the Tomb of the Prophet THILKIFL was built right before the entrances. A Mosque and Minaret were constructed in the place by the Mongol Sultan (Oljito Mohammad Khudabada). It has been accomplished by his son Sultan Sa'eed Bahadir Khan (716-736 H./1316-1335 A.D.). The cylindrical 24m height Minaret was constructed using burnt bricks and gypsum, it was decorated with geometrical, plant and inscription ornaments.

The Site also comprises heritage markets those dated to the Ottoman period, the historical sources mention that the well known owner of the Daniel Market(SUQ) in Baghdad was the very person to whom the construction of THILKIFL market attributed in the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhameed in the conclusion of the 18th century A.D. The market consisted of 2 perpendicular rows of shops, the vaulted 1st of which was 120m length and 6.20m width, while the 2nd was 87m length and 5.60m width which has been also vaulted. The width of the mentioned shops was between 3-4 m, over the top of each vault there is a circular window 40cm diameter, the range of these shop's depth was about 4.5m ,the thickness of these partition walls was 90cm , eventually we should mention that this market wasn't a specialized one, where an individual might find anything he needs.

The Site comprised 3 heritage Khans as follows :
Khan Assayf (The Sword's Inn): It lies in the Eastern part of the Shrine, in the northern wall of which the Minaret's base was constructed. It consists of an open courtyard measured 12X15m which was surrounded by chambers those presided by Iwans roofed with tripped vaults and built using the gypsum and burnt bricks.
Khan Quraysh (The Inn of Quraysh): It lies to north of the Assayf Khan, it also consists of an open courtyard measured 10X12 m ,too, it was surrounded by the chambers those were presided by the Iwans. Here it comprised 2 stairs, the whole building was also built using Gypsum and burnt mud bricks.
Khan Attamr (The Inn of the Palm Dates): it lies in the western part of the shrine. It was also consisting of an open courtyard measured 15X20m, which has also been built with Gypsum and burnt bricks.
Khan Addibs (The Inn of the Palm Dates Syrup): It lies right in the middle of AI-Kifl market to the south of the shrine where a half-circular dome was centered over the building which consisted of a number of chambers and Iwans. The building was constructed with gypsum and mud bricks as well. The building dates of the mentioned above Khans are not precisely determined but the architectural elements of which make us date them back to the 12th century H.,the 18th century A.D.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

Being a religious assemblage where many nations' traditions and heritage integrated, made it a valuable and an exceptional global site. The shrine is the oldest Jewish tomb in Iraq and occupied a sacred position to the Muslims as well, where they used to hold their prayer and ceremonies in. It is the tomb of one of the Israeli prophets, those inhabited Iraq in the days of the Babylonian mighty king Nebuchadnezzar. Indeed, we can consider this shrine an appearance of the civilization's annexation not their conflicts or disputes. From the point of view of architecture, the chevron molding tripped dome, is one of the distinct Iraqi Islamic architectural appearances those influenced by and affected on the Islamic world. As the site preserved many architectural styles such as: the shrine, the markets and the Inns, it would be appropriate saying that it's a perfect architectural complex that possesses its own features. The difference of the historical periods of the site's buildings and the historical tales those referred to this place, made us certain that this spot lasted living and giving from the days of the foundation passing through to the present time without interruption.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

The buildings scattered in the site are so genuine, so, the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage worked so hard to preserve them, avoiding changing the original features of the shrine besides dealing scientifically with the reconstruction works.
Regarding the safety, the Antiquity law No.55 of 2002 and other supporting Legislations, listed items stressing on the preservation of the originality and safety of the Archaeological sites including thilkifl.

Comparison with other similar properties

As an Iraqi architectural appearance, the Dome, which has first known by the Sumerians those have innovated this method for roofing their buildings, examples of the dome were found in Hassuna, Halaf, Al-Ubaid and Ur periods. Through the ages this Method lasted developing including this type which is called the chevron molding conical dome, often, found raising over the tombs since the half of the 5th century H. until the Ottoman period. This style was originally known from Iran, the oldest example of which is the shrine of Joond Qaboose in Jirjan, dated to 397 H./1007 A.D. from there it spread into the Islamic world, then spread towards Iraq during the 2nd half of the 5th century H. to the end of the 7th century H.

Thilkifl dome is similar to other examples from Iraq, since the number of the Incurvates (Crockets) comprising the first courses of the dome is equal and similar to the dome of Al-Hasan Al-Basri in the city of Al-Zubair of Basra, the projection now seen in the Incurvates of the 6th course is similar to that of the domes of Zumurud Khatoon and Omar Al-Sahrawardi in Baghdad.

Source : UNESCO