Picture of the Day: Kurdistan’s Erbil Citadel, One of the Oldest Continuously Occupied Settlements on Earth
The Erbil Citadel is a 7,000-year-old site that has outstanding universal value and is under the protection of Iraq and the Kurdistan region’s legislation. It’s considered to be a very rare surviving example of a formerly fortified settlement that managed to thrive on the top of an ovoid-shaped ancient mound. As seen from above, the mound of earth emerges from the flat surrounding land, an elevation that is due to millennia of settlements built one on top of one another.
In 2007, large excavations from the international archaeological community took place, and in 2014, UNESCO finally welcomed the citadel to the list of World Heritage Sites. The Citadel stands as a true witness to the passing of time and history.
