Kirkuk Citadel's 'Gate of the Seven Girls' lives on in local memory

KIRKUK, Iraq — One of the eastern gates of Kirkuk's historic citadel, known locally as the "Gate of the Seven Girls," remains a fixture of the city's collective memory. The citadel's history dates back to the reign of the Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II in the 9th century BC, when the structure served as a military center. The gate takes its name from a folk story in which seven young women leapt from the citadel's walls to avoid capture during a siege. Raid Ate al-Abeidi, head of Kirkuk's archaeology and heritage directorate, said the citadel is a historically important site and that such oral traditions should be examined through academic study. Historians and heritage researchers said the account cannot be verified as a historical event because written sources are lacking, and that the tale is part of the city's oral tradition. Abbas al-Kalaali, a citadel resident, said he had heard the story from elders since childhood and that it has become inseparable from the citadel's identity. Restoration work has been carried out at the citadel in recent years, and researchers said the structure continues to shed light on Kirkuk's architectural and human history.