Emergency measures for the Arc of Ctesiphon

The Arch of Ctesiphon (Taq Kasra), located 40 km south of Baghdad, was built in the 6th century CE. It is the largest brick vault and free-standing arch in the world built before the modern era. A part of a Sasanian palace complex, it stands at 37 meters high and 26 meters wide. Taq Kasra poses a significant conservation challenge, and a series of partial collapses of the brick vault in 2019 and 2020 showed the urgency for stabilization measures. Following these collapses, the Iraqi Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities (State Board of Antiquities and Heritage) approached ALIPH in 2020 to support the assessment of the damages and emergency stabilization measures. Simultaneously, ALIPH financed digital documentation to create a high-resolution 3D scan of the site. To support the arch and stop it from collapsing, specialized scaffolding was installed at the end of 2021, along with sensors to monitor cracks in the monument and prevent further collapse. The final phase of the emergency measures is to complete remaining stabilization works and produce a draft conservation proposal plan based on the comprehensive assessment of the structure and its environment. The goal for this plan is to evaluate the current state of the building and recommend optimal materials and techniques for the long-term preservation of the monument.