Projectual interventions

The park is limited to the archaeological areas of Khinis, Jerwan, and the Shifka Valley, but is connected through the Multimedia Museum Centre information system to the archaeological areas of Maltai and Bandawai and to other sites identified by future archaeological investigations (Faideh).

One of the primary objectives of the creation of the archaeological environmental park is to help to stimulate the local population’s awareness of the country’s vast historical and cultural heritage, in order to achieve a wider participation in cultural events and a drastic reduction in the many acts of vandalism.

Direct knowledge of the huge, complicated irrigation system must indeed be obtained from a visit to the park’s archaeological areas, and those connected to it, but it may be preceded by the acquisition of prior information by means of procedures of interest to visitors (virtual visits with narrations, video on artistic and technical aspects, visualization of historical events etc.).

The archaeological environmental park’s main scientific and exhibition base will be the Multimedia Museum Centre, with the following sections (5.e.3.2):

The Multimedia Museum Centre with the structures listed above and associated car parks will be located near the Khinis area but will not be directly visible from the site (Pl. 5.e.3.2).

Today the creation of a Museum Centre that constitutes a reference point for the documentation and dissemination of results of archaeological research appears more important than ever. In recent years, thanks to LoNAP’s investigations and territorial reconnaissance, a complex settlement cartography has been created that comprises over 1000 sites in a region with thousands of years of stratification, from the Palaeolithic to the Assyrian kingdom, from Alexander the Great to the Abbasid Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire.

Among the most significant achievements is the reliable identification of the site where in 331 BC the battle of Gaugamela took place, marking the definitive defeat of the Achaemenid Empire and the beginning of Hellenism.

This architectural project defines the location and general properties relating to the volumes and surface areas of the cultural, recreational and functional areas of the centre. The construction work might be commissioned or assigned on the basis of an international architectural competition

The conservation of the original landscape is particularly important in the design of an open-air museum. The archaeological remains are often the only evidence of the transformations imprinted by humans on the environment and therefore they can be powerful foci for territorial redevelopment, especially when closely related to the peculiarities of the landscape in which they are inserted.

The main objective of the archaeological park’s design is the reassessment of the archaeological landscape and natural beauties associated with it. Besides the purpose of enhancing Sennacherib’s historical, archaeological and technical enterprise by recovering and enhancing the individual archaeological sites throughout the region, the determining key point of the project is to create a vast swathe of territory that not only contains the archaeological evidence of the king’s achievement, but also constitutes an oasis of greenery and leisure facilities able to strengthen the bonds between the local population and its cultural heritage and natural environment.

Large-scale reforestation measures will be needed to define the boundaries of the park and of the individual areas and to shield archaeological landscapes from modern intrusions. A large botanical garden will revive the vegetation and the essence of the past praised by Sennacherib’s inscriptions – he prided himself on bringing to his territories “… the plants from all over the world!”.

Not far from the Multimedia Centre and the botanical garden an ample area will be dedicated to the contemplation of nature and the archaeological landscape: an extensive “Garden of Peace” rich in water pools and fruit trees, with games for children, leisure facilities and information systems based on multimedia, but also on more direct contact through conferences and meetings, will allow the population to re-evaluate awareness of their cultural heritage and charming landscapes, and develop a more complete integration between the various ethnic groups. “A garden in which people can gather strength and inspiration, a place for calm reflection and individual introspection; a sanctuary accessible to all, nurturing sentiments of peace, joy and healing” (from the “Garden of forgiveness”, Beirut, Lebanon) (5.e.3.4b).

The Khinis area contains numerous especially interesting features that would justify the organization of structured tourist visits.

Creation of a linear tour itinerary (a beaten-earth path bordered by stones) to define the visiting area and distinguish it from study and intervention areas (Pl. 5.e.3.6a).

Installation of a standard information board (Information and Recreation Unit) with a panel in Arabic, Kurdish and English on a vertical stone surface (Pl. 5.e.3.5).

These features should be enhanced and presented to visitors not with unsightly panels subject to wear and tear over time, but by means of leaflets and/or a specific free app for smartphones handed out along with entry tickets. The leaflets and the app should contain a map of the complex and short descriptions of the various attractions, so that visitors will be encouraged to explore the area and seek out the objects of interest

To facilitate visits to a monument that is very extensive but almost lost in an arid landscape under the blazing sun, it will be necessary to consider the possibility of creating an adequate recreational area, protected and screened by trees, from which people can view the aqueduct from a distance and grasp the relationship between this impressive technical work and the surrounding territory. This area could be located half-way up the hill lying to the north-east. Both the access road and the parking areas for cars and buses could be hidden by means of a vigorous reforestation project that could produce the environmental conditions needed to create a nearly invisible belvedere.

An Information and Recreation Unit (coffee shop, bookshop, and souvenir shop) would likewise be shielded from the view of people visiting the monument. Decorative plants and benches (from which the monument can be seen) would make visits more enjoyable (Pl. 5.e.3.7a).

A stopover area built near the monument will enable tourists to get off the electric mini-train and continue on foot to visit it. Leaflets and a smartphone app available at the ticket booth will contain a map of the aqueduct and a description of its most interesting architectural features.

The lovely Gomel Valley, with the river flowing down its centre, connects the two great archaeological complexes of Khinis and Jerwan, and as a tourist attraction would constitute an important element in the Park.

Visible along the right bank of the river, halfway up the hillsides, is the line of the canal, which slopes down gently south-eastwards. At the foot of the valley, the canal turns sharply west, heading for the imposing Jerwan aqueduct. Following its traces (visible at multiple points along most of the valley), one comes upon the remnants of ancient watermills and small aqueducts built to cross minor wadis, and stretches of the canal that were dug right through the bedrock (Pls. 5.e.3.3a; 5.e.3.3b).

From an asphalt road on the left bank of the Gomel it is possible to combine panoramas of the river with views of the many wooded areas, the beautiful surrounding hills, the nearly horizontal line of the canal, and the archaeological structures that have come to light along its way.

The Gomel Valley would thus enable visitors to see parts of the irrigation system that are situated more closely to the canal’s normal route, without running into any major technical problems. An electric mini-train used for in-depth tours of the park might start from Khinis and end at Jerwan, stopping here and there along the valley at stations from which visitors could proceed to specific sites on foot. Another more flexible way of visiting the valley could be created by the establishment of bridleways (see section 5e.8).