ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Some 2,000 archaeological sites within Erbil province have been officially registered, the Kurdistan Region's Antiquities and Heritage Directorate confirmed to Rudaw on Wednesday, further pointing to fieldwork agreements that have been signed with more than a dozen foreign teams, including one from Harvard University.
“In Erbil and its surroundings - including Koya, Shaqlawa and Harir - nearly 2,000 archaeological sites have been formally registered,” said Nader Babakr, head of Directorate, which operates under the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) municipalities ministry.
He further added that “memoranda of understanding and agreements have been signed with more than 14 international teams, including from Harvard University, a Polish university, and the University of Innsbruck in Austria” for field and excavation work.
Moreover, the Erbil Archaeological Museum also holds “around 7,000 artefacts and archaeological items,” Babakr said.
Importantly, the nearly 2,000 sites Babakr referenced cover only Erbil province.
The Kurdistan Region as a whole is home to approximately 6,500 archaeological sites, according to official KRG statements, based on surveys covering roughly 55 percent of the Region's territory since 2009.
Kurdistan's layered heritage spans thousands of years, from prehistoric settlements through the Assyrian, Babylonian, Median, Achaemenid, Hellenistic, Roman, and Sassanid eras.
Among Erbil's most significant sites is Shanidar Cave, considered the oldest archaeological site in the Kurdistan Region, with artefacts dating back 100,000 years and Neanderthal skeletal remains estimated at 75,000 years old.
Turning to ongoing projects, Babakr said the Directorate is awaiting budget allocation to carry out excavations along the 150-Metre Road project, designed as the outermost highway ring encircling Erbil.
Work is also underway on another major ring road, the 60-Metre Road, specifically in the Baghlaminar neighbourhood, with Babakr noting that excavation approval has been granted for 79 privately owned plots in the area, with work set to begin once final clearance is secured.
Beyond academic research, the KRG has long sought to integrate the Region's archaeological wealth into its broader economic strategy, with historic landmarks increasingly serving as active tourism destinations.
Among these is the Erbil Citadel - listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site - and the historic fortresses of Khanzad, Dween, and Sherwana castles, which are increasingly viewed as vital assets for attracting regional and international visitors.
