Kirkuk Citadel

The Kirkuk Citadel (Arabic: قلعة كركوك; Kurdish: قەڵای کەرکووک; Turkish: Kerkük Kalesi) is a citadel and associated structures located in the center of Kirkuk, Iraq, and is considered to be the oldest part of the city. The citadel stands on a 40-metre-high (130 ft) tell, located on a plateau across the Khasa River. Although most of the citadel was demolished, parts of it, including mosques, tombs, and houses, still remain intact.

Historically a majority Turcoman but also a multicultural city religiously, economically, and ethnically, the citadel contained many markets, mosques, some dating back as far as the Golden Age of Islam, bearing the name of many distinguished locals, and many Sufi monasteries (Known in Iraq generally as takiyya) or Sufi establishment due to the growth of the Qadiriyya Order in the area. There are also many sites dedicated to Christian and Jewish worship. It also contains one of several sites throughout the Middle East where it is claimed that the Abrahamic Prophet Daniel is buried.

In April 2021, the 42.5-hectare (105-acre) citadel site, alongside its many surviving structures, was added to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to its historical significance, authentic ancient urban fabric, and social value.

Text adapted from “Kirkuk Citadel” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Kirkuk Citadel ranks #1,872 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #7 of the 14 mapped in Iraq. Founded 800 BC, it is older than 100% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 5 atlas entries founded in the 8th century BC. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,695 times in the last 60 days, more than 62% of the atlas. See how Iraq compares in the castle statistics.

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Read the full history on Wikipedia ↗