Iraq - Kirkuk Citadel

Kirkuk Citadel is located in the center of the city of Kirkuk, and considered one of the oldest parts of the urban city. Some historians believe that Gutians were the ones who built the Citadel, based on an old cuneiform tablet, and it can be said that this high settlement, now called Kirkuk Citadel, was famous since the middle of the second millennium BC as “Citadel of the city of Beni Shilwa”, while other historians believe that this citadel was built during the reign of the Assyrian king “Ashur Nasirpal II” between 850 and 884 BC. Kirkuk Citadel was originally built on a rounded hill, which rises about 120 feet from the surrounding plains, and overlooks a small river valley known as Al Khasa River. This citadel in itself is considered an integrated city, as it includes many old heritage buildings.