The festival aimed to showcase the importance of the Erbil citadel and its history to the whole world, given that it is a centuries-old landmark and symbol of the city’s history.
"We focus to showcase Erbil to the whole world and how important the citadel is to the region; representing our cultural heritage where it holds beautiful aspect of the city including activities like Kurdish, Arabic, and international concerts," Selar al-Rasheed, who is in charge of showing the guests around the citadel, told Rudaw's Dlnia Rahman.
The night was arranged in a way that represented the multicultural aspect of the city. Different bands and orchestras from around the world took part in the concerts organized in both Mosul and Erbil.
"Tonight's event is a part of the Mosul festival for classical music," Basma al-Husseini, head of Beirut-based Action for Hope Organization, which organized the event said, explaining that "the concert will go on for four days."
The event purely organized by several Iraqi NGOs with the help of United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Erbil citadel was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014. The citadel is located in the downtown of Erbil and dates back to 4,000 years BC. Renovation efforts began around 2009 and it is still continuous.
