Newsletters
Kirkuk's historic Green Dome, a Seljuk-era monument built in 1361 inside the Kirkuk Citadel, faces a risk of collapse after years of neglect, poor maintenance, and damaging interventions. The escalating decay has prompted local officials, researchers, and tourism representatives to call for urgent restoration.
Known locally as Gok Kumbet, the structure was built in honor of Bugday Hatun, a woman from the Seljuk dynasty whose tomb is located at the site. The monument stands out for its green-glazed terracotta decorations and forms part of the Kirkuk Citadel, a historic settlement dating back to 884 B.C. that hosted several civilizations over the centuries.
While natural events have contributed to the decay, local representatives emphasize that prolonged neglect and inadequate maintenance have pushed the monument to the brink of collapse.
Raid Ugla, director of Kirkuk's Culture and Antiquities Department, said restoration work had not been able to get under way because of Iraq's economic difficulties.
According to Ugla, the government decided around four years ago to restore the Kirkuk Citadel and monuments within it, including the Green Dome, but the decision could not be carried out because of financial difficulties.
"Gok Kumbet is an important historical monument for Iraq and Kirkuk. The people of Kirkuk are proud to have such a monument in their city," Ugla said.
He warned that the structure could eventually collapse if its condition continues to deteriorate, adding that restoration requests have repeatedly been passed on to both the Iraqi government and Kirkuk's local administration.
Ugla said Iraqi authorities had responded that restoration work would move forward once the country's economic difficulties ease.
Kirkuk researcher and writer Mehmet Hasim Salihi described the Green Dome as one of the most important historic symbols of both Kirkuk and Iraq, warning that the monument had visibly reached the point where urgent intervention was needed.
Salihi said financial difficulties, neglect and poor maintenance were contributing to the loss of historic structures across the country.
He also stressed that the Green Dome is not simply an architectural monument, as it contains the tomb of Bugday Hatun, adding another layer to its historical significance.
According to Salihi, tourists visiting the Kirkuk Citadel also show interest in the Green Dome, while thousands of historic structures across Kirkuk and Iraq face similar preservation problems.
Ibrahim Pasvan, a tourism company representative in Kirkuk, also called for the Kirkuk Citadel and the Green Dome to be restored and brought into tourism.
Pasvan said the monument, like other historic buildings in the area, faced the risk of disappearing because of neglect and inadequate upkeep.
Having traveled to Türkiye many times for work, Pasvan compared Kirkuk's historic heritage with that of Giresun and said he wanted Kirkuk's monuments to receive a similar level of attention.
He also said improving security and stability in Kirkuk and elsewhere in Iraq in recent years had helped draw in more visitors interested in historic sites.
Pasvan said tourists had started arriving in Kirkuk from different parts of the world, with the largest number coming from Türkiye.
He welcomed the growing interest and called on the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to support restoration of the Green Dome, pointing to the agency's experience in restoring historic buildings.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
