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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Assyrians

Modern Assyrians descend from their ancient counterparts, originating from the ancient indigenous Mesopotamians of Akkad and Sumer, who first developed the civilisation in northern Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) that would become Assyria in 2600 BC. 

AI image of Mesopotamian Empire. Source: Rick/Adobe Stock
6 March, 2024 - 19:56 Robbie Mitchell

The Civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia Explained (Video)

Ancient Mesopotamia , often referred to as the cradle of civilization, witnessed the flourishing of several remarkable cultures, including the Sumerians, Assyrians, Persians, and Babylonians. The...
The Taylor Prism was discovered in 1830 at Nineveh and is currently housed at the British Museum in London. It tells the story of King Sennacherib’s third campaign and his conquests in Judah. Source: Public domain
4 September, 2023 - 14:53 Aleksa Vučković

Sennacherib's Prisms Reveal the Glorious Reign of an Assyrian King

Imagine if all of the world’s ancient cultures and civilizations had had well-developed writing systems. Then envision the marvels we would know about today, the hidden secrets and remarkable tales...
Zerzevan Castle, Turkey. Source: Ayse / Adobe Stock.
3 September, 2023 - 14:53 Sahir

Massive Multi-Storey Structures Found Below Ancient Castle in Turkey

Archaeologists have uncovered vast structures beneath the ancient Zerzevan Castle in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir province, revealing startling remnants from the Roman era. These expansive, multi...
The clay brick from the National Museum of Denmark and from which scientists have extracted ancient plant DNA. Source: Arnold Mikkelsen og Jens Lauridsen
23 August, 2023 - 14:49 Nathan Falde

Ancient Plant DNA Extracted from 2,900-Year-Old Assyrian Brick

DNA testing in an archaeological context has been improving by leaps and bounds, resulting in many new discoveries relating to ancient human, animal and plant genetics. New ground in DNA analysis of...
Representational image of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Source: Creative Digital Art / Adobe Stock
20 August, 2023 - 19:00 Joanna Gillan

Searching for the Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The real location of the elusive Hanging Gardens of Babylon has eluded researchers for centuries. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World whose location is still unknown, yet...
The Man who Assyria Feared: Demon Gallu and King of the Universe
31 December, 2016 - 02:21 Cam Rea

The Man who Assyria Feared: Demon Gallu and King of the Universe

In 660 BCE, mighty Assyria was about to be shaken. A Scythian named Dugdammi united many nomadic tribes into a confederation. This nomadic confederation pushed at the borders of Assyria which so...
Assyrian king. Source: dani3315 / Adobe Stock.
28 June, 2023 - 20:53 Robbie Mitchell

Ashurbanipal: The Most Powerful Man on Earth (Video)

Ashurbanipal, the last formidable king of Assyria , stood as the epitome of power and dominance in the ancient world. With his empire extending from Egypt to Persia, he reigned as the most powerful...
Sumerian king statue one of the most ancient kingdoms of the Asian monarchs. Source: Francis Valadj/Adobe Stock
21 March, 2023 - 21:58 Saurav Ranjan Datta

10 Formidable Monarchs Who Ruled Vast Empires in Ancient Asia

Some of humanity's most ancient civilizations originated on the current continent of Asia. At the dawn of civilization, places like Mesopotamia , Harappa, China, and others saw various advance...
The Tower of Babel. Source: Александр Михальчук / CC BY-SA 4.0
15 July, 2022 - 01:56 pkoutoupis

Gateway to the Heavens: The Assyrian Account of the Tower of Babel

The story of the fabled Tower of Babel from the Book of Genesis has come to inspire artists throughout history and to symbolize the idea of human ambition. Once a real-life ziggurat at the center of...
Hunting the Lions: The Last King of Assyria, and the Death of the Empire – Part II
15 December, 2016 - 02:31 Cam Rea

Hunting the Lions: The Last King of Assyria, and the Death of the Empire – Part II

The Assyrian empire, with the death of King Ashurbanipal, was collapsing under the weight of politics and war. Kingdoms and leaders previously held in Assyria’s great grasp fell upon the vulnerable...
The Powerful Assyrians, Rulers of Empires
9 October, 2016 - 14:49 ancient-origins

The Powerful Assyrians, Rulers of Empires

Much of Assyria's history is closely tied to its southern neighbor, Babylonia. The two Mesopotamian empires spoke similar languages and worshipped most of the same gods. They were often rivals on the...
The Faravahar: The Ancient Zoroastrian Symbol of Iran
11 January, 2021 - 13:55 dhwty

The Faravahar: The Ancient Zoroastrian Symbol of Iran

The Faravahar is arguably the best-known symbol of the Persian Zoroastrian faith. This symbol consists of a winged disc with a man emerging from it. The man is shown holding a ring. Whilst the symbol...
Sebaste’s archaeology ancient ruins Source: Pavel Bernshtam / Adobe Stock
11 September, 2020 - 01:50 Ed Whelan

Ancient Samaria, a City Destroyed and Ten Tribes Lost Forever

Once known as the Land of Canaan, the region was home to great cultures and civilizations for thousands of years. As a result, there are many historic ruins and one of the most fascinating is the...
Aerial image of the Kingdom of Judah excavation, a 2,700-year-old administrative complex in Jerusalem. Source: Yaniv Berman / Israel Antiquities Authority
23 July, 2020 - 14:00 Ed Whelan

Center of Ancient Kingdom of Judah Found in Jerusalem

In Jerusalem, archaeologists have made an important discovery that is providing new insights into the biblical Kingdom of Judah . They have found what they believe is an administrative center...
The Fall of Babylon
12 June, 2020 - 22:15 dhwty

The Monumental Fall of Babylon: What Really Shattered the Empire?

The fall of Babylon is a historical event that occurred in 539 BC. This event saw the conquest of Babylon by the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great and marked the end of the Neo-Babylonian...
Relief representing a two-headed eagle on the sphinx located at the right of the Sphinx Gate, Alaca Höyük, Turkey.
24 January, 2019 - 13:59 Carly Silver

How a Two Headed Bird of Prey Ruled Ancient Mesopotamia and Hatti

Several infamous empires of the early modern period and current modern periods bore curious insignia. The Byzantine, Austrian, and Russian Empires all adopted the symbol of a mythical creature, a...
Lost ancient temple - Iraq-, Musasir
8 July, 2014 - 23:28 aprilholloway

Long-lost ancient temple discovered in Iraq

Local village people in the Kurdistan region or northern Iraq have just made a remarkable discovery – the long-lost temple of the city of Musasir, dedicated to the god Haldi. According to a report in...