The Interior Design Department, Faculty of Engineering at Tishk International University organized a internal seminar entitled Conservation of Urban Heritage Pockets in Erbil Historical City Center-Iraq on may 2/2024. The workshop was presented by Dr. omar abdulwahab aimed to explain The city of Erbil has begun to take strategies to preserve its historical fabric that extends around the historic castle in the center of the city.
Dr.omer explained where the UNESCO had a major role in the urban development of this region. The surrounding urban areas were divided into three conservation zones according to its historical and heritage levels. This study focused on the first conservation area with a high level of heritage surrounding the ancient citadel because it contains many heritage urban pockets with its tangible and intangible components. Each urban pocket represents a heritage hub with all its buildings, and urban activities. Due to the political and economic conditions that the region experienced in general, some urban renewal work stopped in the first phase of heritage preservation, except for the shopping and open space areas. The research aims to focus on these completed areas and study the keys to the success of the implemented heritage preservation policy.
The research adopts a qualitative methodology to achieve the research objective. The study area is specifically represented by the historical and heritage shopping area surrounding the castle. The research will use visual observation and maps to measure the keys to success in preserving heritage. This study will contribute to revealing the positive and effective aspects of managing the heritage preservation process in historic city centers, with their sensory and physical contents, and the possibility of benefiting from them, in addition to avoiding some negative points in the subsequent urban renewal processes of heritage areas. This study will also provide opportunities for urban planners, designers, and those responsible for urban renewal processes to manage the file successfully.
