ABSTRACT
Since its inception in 2012, the Land of Nineveh Archaeological Project (LoNAP) has been engaged in the protection and enhancement of the Duhok Governorate’s heritage (Kurdistan Region of Iraq). Working in close cooperation with the Duhok Directorate of Antiquities and Heritage, the project has developed ‘Sennacherib’s Archaeological Park’, the first archaeological park in the region. The park will allow the protection and enhancement of a group of unique and extraordinary sites. These include the imposing rock reliefs and monumental cuneiform inscriptions commemorating an extensive irrigation system commissioned by King Sennacherib in the 7th-century BCE as part of the economic and demographic development strategy of the Assyrian Empire’s core region. The project is also actively working for the inclusion of the rock reliefs, canals and stone aqueducts at the sites of Khinis, Jerwan, Maltai and Faida in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The goal is to contribute to the conservation, safeguarding, and management of this ancient hydraulic landscape and to make the archaeological park a significant driver for the development of sustainable archaeological tourism in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. To support sustainability and inclusivity in the park’s creation processes, LoNAP has designed and implemented a community engagement programme aimed at understanding and improving the local community’s perception of the archaeological sites and the work of archaeologists.
