Assyrian Capitals
Written by Levi Clancy
First published
June 10, 2009
Last modified
August 29, 2011
The settlement and re-settlement of the Habur region by people from Samaria, the Mediterranean shore or even way over on the border of Iran had an Aramization on Assyria. Sargon II (722-705) claims to have built a structure at Dur Sharrukin in the bit hilani style. Also, Sennacherib (704-681) claims to have done construction at Nineveh in the bit hilani style.
| Ancient | Modern | Founder | Year | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashur | The capital of the kingdom Shamshi-Adad I (1813-1781 BC). | |||
| Karum Kanesh | Kültepe | Amorite Businessmen | Though not an Assyrian capital, most of our knowledge of early Assyria is from the commercial colony Karum Kanesh founded a few hundred miles north of Assur on the Anatolian plateau. | |
| Kar Tukulti Ninurta | Tukulti-Ninurta I | ~1220 BC | ||
| Kalhu | Nimrud | Ashurnasirpal II | ||
| Dur Sharruken | Khorsabad | Sargon II | 717 BC | Temple: ideograms are expressing great king, king of the universe type of thing, are the sequence of pictures. |
| Nineveh | Mosul | Sennacherib | Citadel is mound called Kuyunjik. Main citadel itself has palace without rival of Sennacherib, likely completed by his son. There is a semi-completed zigarat. There was also a Nabu, Shin Shamash and Kidnumi temple. Excavations at the kuyunjik go back to the 6th millenium BC. There was a change in style starting in Sennacherib, with miles and miles of relifs (not just throne room like at Nimrud). These reliefs lacked extensive inscriptions and only had epigraphs. | |
| Lachish | Not a capital of Assyria itself, but the capital of Assyrian control over Judah. | |||
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