On Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, our band of expats boarded a bus to go to the center of Erbil. Our goal was to tour the Citadel. It has been claimed that the site is the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world. There is evidence that people have inhabited this site for 8000 years. Many conquerors have come and gone. But of particular note is the Mongol conquest in 1259 after a six month seige. The Mongols appointed a Christian governor to the town and there was an influx of Jacobites, who were allowed to build a church. Persecutions of Christians started however in 1289, leading up to the massacre of all Christians in both the lower town and the citadel town in 1310. Therefore the area we visited was a place of martyrdom for many, many people.
North gate entrance at the top of the citadel. Kathy on left in yellow top.
View from north gate looking out over Erbil towards Ankawa.
Some of the restored buildings.
Winding path to the east side of the Citadel where the nobility and royalty lived.
Ruins of dwellings.
More single family dwellings.
We finally reach the ruins of the nobility.
View from a Citadel window, looking east out over the Qaysari Market ( bazaar ).
From the courtyard of a wealthy person's home. All of the following photos are of another wealthy person's home. The murals on the walls are incredible. The attention to detail, including the ceilings, showed that the owners had been a family of great wealth.
Look at the remains of this brick wall. Very interesting way to lay brick.
View of another courtyard in the rizty part of the Citadel.
After our visit to the Citadel, we descended to street level to do some shopping at the Qaysari Market. I did not take many photos. I seemed to draw a great deal of attention to myself whenever I pulled out my camera inside the bazaar. Therefore, I have provided an excellent link that someone has created with superb pictures of the bazaar. I hope you take the time to look at them. The photographer has truly captured the essence and the reality of the bazaar.
Photos of the Qaysari Market
jw
Really great photos!
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