review on traditional and Modern Environmental aspects and current challenges

The Bazaar of Erbil has two historic buildings called Qaysariyas. These separate roofed-structures were built by a wealthy merchant family from Erbil in the late 19th century for storing and selling high-quality goods.

Between 2011-2014 the Erbil Governorate and the Kurdistan Department of Antiquities, along with Germany’s TU Berlin and the German Archaeological Institute, collaborated on a documentation project. This project included a detailed survey of the buildings’ condition, an analysis of the damage, and a plan for restoring them according to preservation standards. The Kurdistan Regional Government plans to fully restore the entire structure based on the proposed preservation plan.

Sadly, these Qaysariyas are in bad condition and in danger, especially after the recent fire outbreak. Now a joint effort by the Erbil Governorate is underway to save them.

This conference and panel discussion, in collaboration with the University of Kurdistan Hewler, included a presentation by Dr. Anne Mollenhauer who was one of the leaders of the 2011-2014 Qaysariya survey.