The castle of Hawler (Erbil) is considered to be one of the oldest castles in Kurdistan and even in the world. Based on historical sources, the history of this castle goes back one thousand years BC. This castle was called "Arbaillo" which means "Four Gods" in the Sumerian era because it was a temple and a statue of a God was there.
Hawler City
Hawler is an old and large city in the Southern part of Kurdistan and the capital of the Kurdistan Region. Hawler is considered to be one of the oldest cities in Kurdistan and even the world, dating back to 6000 BC.
The location of Hawler is very important and strategic. It is located on the edge of the Zagros Mountains on the plains. This city is between the large and small Zab Rivers and it is in the middle of the southern part of Kurdistan.
Hawler is a very ancient city and according to the narratives, the history of residence in this city goes back to almost 6000 years BC.; this has been proved after researching the Hawler Castle and Shanadar Cave.
Hawler Catle and its structure and location
The historical castle of Hawler is located in the center of the city. It is a round hill, the top of which is flat with an area of 102, 190 square meters and is 415 meters above sea level and 26 meters above the surface of Hawler city and its buildings are made of clay.
A lot of research has been done on the castle and dozens of historical monuments have been found in it, including "clay items, animals' sculptures and various kinds of clothes". The castle is made up of complex and narrow roads and walk-in and there are cultural houses with open yards. There are great halls, worshiping chambers and alters, cultural houses, public buildings, public bathrooms, mosques, and large houses within the castle. It also has three large neighborhoods; Saraa, Takyeh, and Topkhana.
One of the most beautiful features of this castle is the wall which is very strong and thick. This wall circles around the castle and gives the city a beautiful view. Thousands of tourists visit it every year and record their memories here.
The Hawler Castle had two main gates: the Great Southern Gate and the Great Northern Gate.
In 2005 this ancient castle was designated by UNESCO as one of the world's 100 most important monuments that should be preserved as a human culture.
The History of Hawler Castle
According to the data from the Kurdistan Regional Government, in 1995, Hawler Castle had 1631 people and 247 houses, however in 2003, the castle was evacuated so that it would not lose its identity as an ancient monument of the world.
Hawler Castle is one of the oldest castles in Kurdistan and the world. The history of this castle is not very clear but some historical sources trace its history back to the Assyrians and a thousand years BC. and they also claim that it was built by Jews and Assyrians.
There are some opinions that claim the Hawler Castle was higher than it is now, but in 216 AD, the Roman Emperor (Krakla) invaded Tisfoun and they passed through Hawler. They had ruined the castle that was the graveyard of Forsyth King and extracted the skeleton of the dead.
Hawler Castle has seen the different eras of Sumerians, Assyrians, Sassanids, Mongolians, Christians, and Ottomans, and has been home to various Jewish, Christian, and Muslim temples since its inception. This castle was called the "Four Gods" by the Sumerians because it was a temple for worshiping God.
In 1190 AD. Sultan Muzaffaruddin became the ruler of Hawler and during the 42 years of his rule, the city grew greatly. During this time the lower part of Hawler (outside of the castle) was built. Based on a map of 1233 AD. there were two schools, two mosques, a large Caesarian market, and a part of Khanaqa neighborhood all surrounded by a long rampart on an area of three square kilometers.
"NASA" identifies Hawler Castle as the oldest place of human settlement on Earth
In 2019, NASA posted an article on its Facebook page about Hawler Castle titled "History on a Hill": "The Hawler Castle is an ancient civilization of Mesopotamia."
NASA wrote: "Changiz Khan built the largest land for its imperial throne, and the Ottomans controlled European and Asian lands for 600 years, each emperor had a common point with what followed, all of them ruled a piece of circular land which is now the fortress of Hawler, the capital of Kurdistan Region."
NASA noted that Hawler Castle is the oldest human settlement zone dating back to 6000 years ago.
It is worth mentioning that NASA's image of this castle dates back to November 20th, 2018. NASA compares Hawler's map to a wheel and says: "Humans may have lived in Hawler before the time of the construction of wheels."
