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Nineveh

The Lamassu that has been re-excavated in Iraq. Image Credit : Mustafa Yahya

Astonishing 2,700-Year-Old Assyrian Winged Deity Unearthed in Iraq

In a landmark discovery, archaeologists have re-excavated a magnificent lamassu at the ancient city of Khursbad, Iraq. The monumental sculpture, an embodiment of an Assyrian protective deity , is...
Reconstruction of the ancient Babylon Ishtar gate. Source: pop_gino / Adobe Stock.

Babylon: Ancient Site, Modern Problems (Video)

Amidst the challenges brought on by years of conflict, Iraq's historic treasures, like Babylon , are gradually receiving attention once more. The ancient city, once the capital of King Nebuchadnezzar...
The Hanging Gardens of the Chaldean Dynasty of Mesopotamia. Source: Sarry/Adobe Stock

The Chaldean Dynasty and the Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire

Empires are formed and fall, dynasties rise to prominence and crumble in poverty and ruin, ethnicities disappear from the fate of the Earth - these are the inevitable aspects of the histories of...
Representational image of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Source: Creative Digital Art / Adobe Stock

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...
Assyrian king. Source: dani3315 / Adobe Stock.

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...
These ancient Iraq carvings dating to the Assyrian Empire were unearthed near the Mashki Gate in Mosul, escaping destruction by IS in 2016. Source: Iraqi Ministry of Culture

Ancient Assyrian Carvings Found Near Mashki Gate Destroyed by ISIS

Eight stunningly detailed carved stone panels have been discovered near the Mosul, Iraq. They were unearthed near Mashki Gate, a site that was bulldozed by Islamic State (IS) terrorists in 2016. The...
Assyrian soldiers carry beheaded heads of their prisoners as depicted on a wall in the South-West Palace at Nineveh, during the “First” Fall of Neneveh.          Source: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin / CC BY-SA 4.0

August 10 612 BC: Nineveh, the Largest City in the World, Fell

On this day, 2,632 years ago, the ancient metropolis of Nineveh fell. “ ABC 3 ” is a historiographical text from ancient Babylonia which records August 10th 612 BC as the date of this dramatic...
Assyrian Palace Discovered in Terrorists’ Treasure Tunnels

Assyrian Palace Discovered in Terrorists’ Treasure Tunnels

On June 4, 2014, the Northern Iraq offensive began when the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL; sometimes referred to as the Islamic State (IS)) launched a major offensive against government...
Ashurbanipal: The Oldest Surviving Royal Library in the World with Over 30,000 Clay Tablets

Ashurbanipal: The Oldest Surviving Royal Library in the World with Over 30,000 Clay Tablets

The Royal Library of Ashurbanipal has sometimes been described as the ‘first library’ in the world, or the ‘oldest surviving royal library in the world’. The library was discovered by archaeologists...
Winged human-headed bull, lamassu or shedu, the Lost City of Dur-Sharrukin.

The Lost City of Dur-Sharrukin – The Capital That Never Was

Dur-Sharrukin is an ancient Assyrian city that was founded towards the end of the 8 th century BC. The city was established by Sargon II to serve as his new capital. Nevertheless, Sargon died before...
Archaeologist Henry Layard's image of Nineveh.

Nineveh: Exploring the Ruins of the Crown City of Ancient Assyria

Nineveh was the last capital of the Assyrian Empire, as well as its most populous city. It has even been claimed that Nineveh was the most populated city in the world for a period. In recent times,...
The now destroyed Nebi Yunus in Nineveh. Iraqi archaeologists excavate the monumental entrance to a late Assyrian building. The large head of a bull-man sculpture lies in a passageway.

Lost Codes Discovered in Terrorist’s Treasure Tunnel

Hidden deep beneath the ancient Iraq city of Nineveh, archeologists assessing the destruction of Isis treasure hunters have uncovered 2,700-year-old inscriptions describing the rule of an ancient...
Hunting the Lions: The Last King of Assyria, and the Death of the Empire – Part II

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...
Leptis Magna to the east of Khoms

Three ancient cities to rival London, Paris and New York

London, Paris and New York are global cities: modern hubs for travel, technology and trade, their names and images echo around the globe, capturing our imaginations with their distinctive histories,...
One of the fifteen gateways of ancient Nineveh. A reconstruction was begun in the 1960s by Iraqis, but was not completed. The lower portions of the stone retaining wall are original.

Tragedy as militants bomb 2,700-year-old Nineveh Wall in Iraq

Militants of the Islamic State have destroyed a large portion of the ancient Nineveh wall in Mosul, which dates back some 2,700 years. The tragic loss adds to a series of archaeological, historical,...