Duhok Prepares to Open the Largest Archaeological Park in the Region

ARK News.. Duhok Governorate is preparing to officially open the Duhok Archaeological Park at the end of next October, in a move aimed at promoting cultural tourism and supporting efforts to have the site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Speaking to the media, Bekas Brifkani, Director of Antiquities and Heritage in Duhok, said the park covers an area of 130 square kilometers under an open-air exhibition concept, making it the largest archaeological park of its kind in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. He added that the site includes a historic 340-kilometer-long water canal dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries BC.

The park features several prominent archaeological sites, most notably the Faida Canal, which contains 13 Assyrian rock reliefs, and the Jerwan Bridge, regarded as one of the oldest known hydraulic engineering structures in history. Brifkani explained that the project was carried out in cooperation with the University of Udine in Italy.

Excavations conducted since 2019 have led to the discovery of traces of the original pigments on the rock reliefs, in addition to documenting the site using 3D laser scanning technology.

For his part, Kayfi Mustafa, Director General of Antiquities in the Kurdistan Region, said the opening of the park is part of a broader plan to develop thousands of archaeological sites. He expressed confidence that the project will attract tourists and researchers while strengthening Duhok's position on the archaeological tourism map.

The Duhok Directorate of Antiquities and Culture had opened part of the archaeological park in 2022 and confirmed that its full official inauguration will take place in 2026.

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