Masonry Magazine January 2017 Page. 67
FIGURE 2 ERBIL CITADEL
FIGURE 3 -CITADEL ON THE TELL
that this site has been continuously occupied since 6,000 BC or earlier. The buildings on the citadel now date to the 19th century, and primarily constructed of mud bricks and timber. There are some remnants of British concrete and steel construction in various buildings. So we have a site that's over 8,000 years old, but the buildings on top are less than 200 years.
In 2007, the government moved out over 3,000 thousand occupants to begin a massive restoration of over 620 mud brick dwellings and commercial and religious buildings. Mud bricks are a common building material in many countries. UNESCO mandates that fired bricks be used in the restoration rather than mud bricks but their physical properties must be close to the original mud bricks. Figure 4 shows some "modern" molded, fired bricks soaking before their use because they have very high absorption (approximately 24% to 35%). Dependent upon the source of the clay, these bricks often include straw mixed in with the soil during molding to limit shrink cracking.
Figure 2 -Erbil Citadel (courtesy of High Commission for Erbil Citadel Restoration)
Figure 3 -Citadel on the tell Main entrance to the citadel as viewed from the city
Figure 4 -Fired bricks soaking
Restoration seems to take forever due to the cost, temperature, and humidity. More often you'll find buildings mothballed for restoration. Figure 5 shows typical buildings in the citadel, and throughout the older parts of the city. The blue tarps are everywhere.
ERBIL CITADEL
Anything available is used for stabilization, and that's what I teach. There's no mistaking these for US job sites, but you do what you can to save the buildings for future repairs.