<![CDATA[In the post-conflict periods, cities often suffer significant damage, requiring more effort to rebuild. However, proper reconstruction requires documentation of the previous urban fabric. Aerial photography is an important element in documenting the components of the urban fabric. In 2017, extensive destruction occurred in many areas of Mosul's Old City (MOC), with some districts suffering so much damage that the distinctive urban fabric was lost. The MOC is characterized by its dense urban structure and the presence of internal courtyards within its buildings. This paper aims to utilize historical aerial photographs to relocate the position of building courtyards in parts of the MOC urban fabric, as one of the first steps in a comprehensive plan to represent them in the absence of the necessary documents and surveys. The methodology proposed in this paper involves a series of automated image processing (AIP) stages, where the position of the courtyard can be determined in the form of a network whose geolocation can be easily identified. This study offers a stepwise and semi-automated methodology for courtyard location determination. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the efficacy of applying automated image processing techniques in the context of preventive conservation and protection of urban structures in historic cities. However, the study encountered limitations related to the type and accuracy of the available aerial images. Additionally, the potential use of more advanced software could yield more accurate results or facilitate the generalization of findings to other cities, a direction suggested for future research.]]>
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