This section will attempt to identify the gaps in knowledge through looking at the earlier studies that dealt with the change and persistence in the urban core of Erbil73.
73 Other studies have dealt with the citadel and the new modern areas of Erbil. For example, Mzoori (2011) considers the spatial configuration and tries to determine the change in the functional efficiency of the house layouts in Erbil from 1900 to 2010. The study attempts to measure this impact using the Space Syntax theory. The results show that the process of spatial configuration over time is affecting the functional efficiency of the house layouts. Al-Shwani (2011) tries to measure the influence of modernity on the architectural identity of the facades of houses built between 1930 and 2010. The degree of change has been evaluated and a model for visual analysis developed. The findings assert that modernity factors have a direct influence on the continuity of architectural identity. Thus, the ‘Mass and Articulation’ and ‘Architectural Details’ are the most significant aspects to having interrupted this continuity. Baper et al. (2010) address the evolution of the types of house gardens through morphological analysis. The study is based on a comparison between the traditional houses in the citadel and the modern ones. The analysis focuses on how the types of gardens change over time. However, except for Mzoori who tried to address the single issue of the social factor, these studies have analysed the old and the new without any indication of the kinds of reasons behind these changes. Other studies, like, Al-Haydari (1985) focused on the old citadel and its architecture and the processes of conservation.
Some studies focused on the lower city evolution and urban growth developments of the built environment of recent time; or dealing with the individual buildings, residential area - e.g. Raswol (2010), visual aspects of the current architecture, and factors behind emerging new residential areas.
Other subjects which attract the interest of Iraqi urbanists and architects, such as the relationship
Only five studies (in addition to an archaeological study) that dealt with the city urban core from other novel perspectives, were found. The study by Al-Hashimi (2015), The South Gate, the persistent element of the old city of Erbil’, highlights the importance of this gate as a tangible and intangible aspect, and indicates the changes that happened to the gate in relation to its function, physical aspects and its relation with the urban fabric. The discussion has also showed practically how these persistent elements can be deactivated for a while and then reactivated again; nevertheless, the study gave less attention to the agents behind these changes, and focused only on the citadel gate in highlighting its changes, as it was the aim of the paper.
The other study, ‘Moving a Market: Impacts of Heritage Nomination on a Local Community’. A Case Study of Delal Khaneh in Iraqi Kurdistan’, by Mohammadi in 2014 criticised the current urban plan that was imposed on the city’s urban core during redevelopment of the area and caused substantial changes to land use. He highlights some main agents, such as the decision power (those with the power to make a decision) and the lack of a comprehensive urban planning strategy, that impacted on the area through demolishing part of the old bazar and relocating its merchants to a new shopping centre built in the same area. The result of this action caused a change in the tangible urban fabric and intangible social and economic characteristics.
Although the study has implicitly highlighted important agents that impact change of the built environment, it makes no attempt to illustrate the roots of the Delal Khaneh (the block that was demolished) and compare the urban fabric situation before and after demolishing it. It may be that his focus was on the current situation of the new shopping centre in the area and its relationship with sellers and tradesmen who used to trade in the previous place.
Bornberg, Tayfor and Jaimes, (2006), in their study, ‘Traditional versus a global, international style: Aarbil, Iraq’ discuss the contrast in architectural concept and the use between the new shopping centre, which has recently been built in front of the citadel, and the old bazar. This study focused on the architectural characteristics of the
between the old and the new part - e.g. Shwani (2011), Mzoori (2011), and Baper et al. (2010), conservation on the citadel, and recent debates in the city identity like Shwani (2011).
design of historical markets by providing brief descriptions which lack detail and are unrelated to the current situation of Erbil’s bazar and its history. The key problem with this explanation is that it attempted to impose the old idea of traditional market design without considering other factors of change, such as technology, and openness to new ideas and new requirements. It dealt with the existing situation with no clear indication of the architecture and urban form of the bazar area.
Another study is the work of Al-Dabbagh (1988) titled as ‘The Historic Commercial Centre of Arbil: An architectural and Planning Study of Shopping Space Requirements in the Commercial Central Areas of Iraq Cities’. It addressed some of the architectural criteria of what the bazar area was like in the 1980s and attempted to clarify its situation at that time. Its aim was to provide suggestions for architectural designs, which could help enhance the status of this historic environment. Within the limitation of available material at that time, the study traced some changes happening in that area from the 1940s to the 1980s; nevertheless, they were addressed in a superficial way.
Although the study is somewhat outdated and did not deal with other public sectors of the city urban core, and the analysis was focusing on the 20th century, its importance lies in the survey undertaken by the researcher to address parts of the site of the bazar within the city. Unfortunately, some of his photographs are unclear, the maps were hand drawn, and some historical information about the bazar area was brief and inaccurate. Al-Genabi’s (1987) study relied too heavily on the goods distribution and organisation in the bazar in the 1980s and highlighted the function of new shops that were added with new designs.
The archaeological study of Erbil74 conducted by Nováček, Amin and Melčák (2013) tackled the subject of change and continuity in an attempt to investigate the history of the city and identify some physical urban elements of 12th century Erbil. The data and the hypothesis that were introduced are very important as it has identified the city’s
74 Baper et al. (2010) address the change in the types of house gardens through morphological analysis.
They dealt indirectly with the persistent elements of the garden. The study is based on a comparison between traditional and modern houses in the citadel and the analysis focuses on how the patterns / types of garden change over time. With the exception of the study by Mzoori, who tried to address one issue, the social factor; all these studies analysed both old and new areas and the reasons behind the areas.
outline and the city urban core. However, the study is in the field of archaeology and used the subject of the continuity through focusing abstractly on the physical aspects of the city and on specific periods of time. Although these studies are interesting in their perspective and some provided useful methods relating to the analysis and data collection, none provided any comprehensive view of analysing the historic urban core which surrounds the citadel and includes the bazar area (table 1.3).
Table 1.3: The studies that dealt with the urban core of Erbil
Author Year Case study Period
Farah Al-Hashimi 2015 The South Gate 18th century to 2014 Ottoman & Modern period
Mohammadi Rojan 2014 Old Markets 2006-2013 Modern period
2006 New Shopping center 2006 Modern period
Hassan Al-Dabbagh 1988 The bazar area 18th century to 1980s Ottoman & Modern period
Hashim Al-Ganabi 1987 The function of the bazar area 1980s, Modern period
From the above mentioned it can be said that the notion of change and persistence in the urban core of Erbil has never been addressed. In addition, the intangible aspects were almost neglected and rarely used. These earlier shortcomings allow the researcher of this study to enjoy the opportunity to redress the balance and to deal with both aspects by following the principles of Christopher Alexander, Rossi and Bill Hillier and others who state that the city is a combination of both space and form where hidden patterns of events take place. In this sense the focus will be on analysing the urban elements and their relationship with notion of the change and the persistence. This will shift the problem of describing the physical urban environments and the changes, to a level that deals with it in more detail and in a manner that helps to identify the reasons behind both the changes and the persistent aspects that the urban core still retains. The study will choose to cover a long period of the history and will span the periods to
identify the roots of the existing urban fabric, (which have never been addressed in this district of Erbil).