The citadel was built by the Ottoman Empire,[2] although it contains remains dating back to the Assyrian period.

[3] Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the citadel housed the mayoral, municipal and police headquarters of Tal Afar.

[2] Tal Afar fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in June 2014, and the militants used the citadel as a prison for women and girls who were to be forcibly married to ISIL members.

[4] In December 2014, ISIL blew up the city's northern and western walls, causing extensive damage.

[3] UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova strongly condemned the destruction of the citadel.