Author(s)

J. A. Martin-Caro, I. Paniagua

Abstract

Erbil Citadel Town is situated on top of an artificial, 32 metre high earthen mound, overlooking the sprawling modern city of Erbil. The city is believed to have been in continuous existence for 7,000 years or even longer. The Citadel is an elliptical-shaped town covering slightly more than 10 hectares of dense fabric, composed mainly of traditional courtyard houses, built in ochre-coloured bricks.

This paper will highlight the different studies for restoration work undertaken, paying special attention to the assessment of the structural performance of eight buildings of earthen construction under seismic action.

Keywords

earth construction, seismic action, restoration, world heritage, structural assessment, masonry structures