Objectives
The UNESCO Office for Iraq has contacted CRAterre to collaborate on a project funded by the UNESCO/Netherlands Fund in Trust. Entitled "Capacity Building for the Documentation and Conservation of World Heritage Properties in Danger in Iraq", this initiative aims to improve local expertise in the preservation of endangered heritage sites.
The six properties inscribed on the World Heritage List in Iraq all feature mud brick structures, which characterise the Mesopotamian and Islamic architectural traditions of the region.Three of these World Heritage sites (Ashur, Samarra and Hatra) are currently inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. These sites require a targeted approach to conservation and management in order to remove them from this list.
Result
In this context, a field mission was carried out by two CRAterre experts from 26 April to 10 May 2025. The mission included a two-day visit to the sites of Ashur and Samarra and a ten-day capacity-building training course organised at the Erbil Citadel. The training course brought together 20 participants from various disciplines, including archaeologists, architects, engineers and geologists, from six regions of Iraq.
Funding
UNESCO
