Shafaq News- Duhok

Archaeologists in Iraq’s Duhok province have uncovered an ancient ritual site in the Aqrah district during excavations conducted ahead of a planned monument project in the city center.

Bekas Brifkani, director of the Duhok Antiquities Directorate, informed Shafaq News that the area in Sari Gari had initially been designated for the construction of a statue of Kawa the Blacksmith, a legendary figure in Kurdish tradition associated with resistance and the Newroz festival.

Preliminary assessments later revealed archaeological remains beneath the surface, prompting teams from the Aqrah Antiquities and Heritage Department to begin excavations. The excavation uncovered an ancient ritual complex, including a large press believed to have been used in ceremonial practices linked to the preparation of the ritual beverage known as “Haoma” or “Soma.”

The site also contains stone stairways, water channels, and areas designated for fire-related practices, according to Brifkani, who noted that initial findings suggest the remains date to the second half of the first millennium BC.