UNESCO adds Hewlêr Citadel to World Heritage Sites
HEWLÊR (DİHA) - The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is expected to officially recognize Hewlêr (Erbil) Citadel as a World Heritage Site in a special ceremony at the citadel.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova will be present at the ceremony as well as Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. “Its expected that today [Sunday] UNESCO will add Hewlêr Citadel to its World Heritage Site List, after the organization shortlisted the citadel last June,” said Hewlêr governorate spokesman Hamza Hammed.
Hewlêr Citadel won a battle to get on the respected UNESCO World Heritage List on June 21st. A number of archaeologists believe settlement on the site, which has risen by some 30 meters as successive settlers built on remains left by their predecessors, could be at least 6,000 years old. It has been claimed that the site is the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world.
Since 2007, several projects aimed at the conservation and revitalization of the Citadel have been initiated by the Kurdistan Regional Government and implemented through the High Commission for the Hewlêr Citadel Revitalization (HCECR) and UNESCO.
(nt)
