Alexander the Great's defeat of the Persian king Darius III in 331 B.C. is among the many historic events that occurred there. Its main landmark, the citadel, perched 26 meters above the surrounding ground level, was built atop archaeological ruins from consecutive historic settlements. It has an area of 102,000 square meters and was inhabited possibly by 5000 people at one time. Up to the beginning of this century it served as a cultural and administrative center, where elegant buildings stood and prosperous families lived. Some houses have now beensubdivided and lack proper infrastructure and sanitation.
Many buildings are either structurally unsound or collapsing outright.
Only now has it been possible for international agencies to gain access to cultural heritage sites in Iraq. A preservation action plan is needed to call world attention to the cultural, archaeological, and historical significance of the site, now within a city inhabited by over 750,000 people.