First Aid Interventions to the World Heritage Site of Hatra after Daesh Occupation

Hatra, founded in the 2nd or 3rd century BCE and destroyed in the middle of the 3rd century CE, is the best-preserved example of a Parthian city. Located in an isolated area of the desert steppe of northern Iraq, Hatra was an important religious and trading centre, and major stop on a trading route leading to Palmyra, Baalbek, and Petra. The site was occupied by Daesh in 2014 and partially destroyed in 2015.  

The rehabilitation process consists of three phases. The first was to document the site and conduct a needs assessment. The second focused on cleaning; further documentation measures; conservation and restoration activities on the monuments, architectural elements, and sculptures; and the maintenance and rehabilitation of site facilities. Those achievements were marked by a ceremony in Hatra in February 2022.  

The current third phase of the project, was approved by the ALIPH Foundation Board in October 2023 and launched in March 2023. Included in the activities are urgent structural safeguarding measures, cataloguing of artifacts, assessment and diagnostics, and the preparation of a conservation plan.