The Citadel of Erbil (Qellat)

The Citadel of Erbil (locally Qellat) is a tell — an occupied mound — that constitutes the historical city centre of Erbil. It is multilayered, reflecting long-term urban occupation, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 21 June 2014. In the 20th and early 21st centuries the site underwent urban management actions that included relocation of families from the old citadel area and associated reconstruction and community support projects. U.S. SIGIR project assessment documents reference villages formed for relocated families and construction of schools (Sarwaran Primary School and Binaslawa Middle School) to serve those populations, indicating clearance and rehabilitation activity during the mid- to late-2000s and early 2010s. Although popular-interest queries sometimes associate the citadel with local folklore (including mentions of jinn or cursed stones in broader cultural contexts), the supplied documentary sources contain no corroborated descriptions, eyewitness reports, named supernatural entities, or investigative theories about paranormal phenomena specific to the Citadel of Erbil. Consequently, no paranormal incidents are asserted in this entry based on the provided materials.