Assur
Location
About
Assur (Ashur) was the original capital and the religious heart of the Assyrian Empire, named after the supreme Assyrian deity Ashur. The city, sitting on a rocky spur above the Tigris River, served as the religious center of Assyria even after political capitals moved to Nimrud, Khorsabad, and Nineveh. The temple of Ashur and the royal burial grounds make it the most sacred city in Assyrian religious geography.
Significance
Assur was to the Assyrians what Jerusalem was to the Israelites — the city of their chief deity, the place of royal burial, and the spiritual foundation of their civilization. The Assyrian Empire's identity was intrinsically tied to Assur the city and Ashur the god. The destruction of Assur by the Medes and Babylonians in 614 BCE (two years before Nineveh's fall) was a mortal blow to Assyrian civilization.
History & Historical Arc
Assur was occupied from at least 2600 BCE and was a major trading colony center in the Old Assyrian period (2025-1378 BC…
Archaeological Notes
Walter Andrae's exhaustive excavations revealed the temples of Ashur, Ishtar, Adad, and Sin-Shamash; the ziggurats; roya…
Key Features & Structures
- Temple of Ashur
- Old Palace
Visitor Information
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Near Shirqat, Saladin Governorate, Iraq. Security situation requires pre-planning.
Related Figures
In the Bible
Source References
- Andrae, Das wiedererstandene Assur (1938)