KRG allocates nearly 10 billion IQD to revitalize heritage sites

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A special budget of almost 10 billion Iraqi dinars (approximately $6.8 million) has been allocated for the restoration of various heritage sites across the Kurdistan Region, a government official announced on Wednesday.

Sasan Awny, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Minister of Municipality and Tourism, announced the decision in a speech on Wednesday. It’s part of the KRG’s efforts to revitalize the region’s heritage sites.

Awny’s ministry aims to bring Kurdistan’s heritage sites up to a global standard.

The new budget was made possible by a decree issued by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

The 8,000-year-old Erbil citadel is one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on the planet. It has been on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites since 2014.

Under the auspices of the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization (HCECR), archaeological research and restoration works have been carried out by various international teams with guidance from local experts.

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