Assur

Assur (also called Ashur) was an ancient city located on the right bank (west) of the Tigris river, in what is now northern Iraq in Salah ad-Din province. The city was the religious and political centre of the Assyrian state, and its name derived from the god Ashur, whose principal temple was located there.

Settlement at the site began centuries before the Assyrians gained power, and the city went through different periods: times of decline under the rule of other states, and periods when it was the capital of a vast empire. Even after later kings moved the administrative centres to other cities such as Kalhu (Nimrud), Dur-Sharrukin, and Nineveh, Assur remained the site of religious practice and the burial place of many kings.

Geography and architecture

The site lies on a high stone ridge close to the river, which provided natural defence on its sides. The city had walls, gates, temples, and palaces. These included the temple of Ashur, temples dedicated to Anu and Adad, and a ziggurat (a tiered temple tower). Many kings documented the construction of the walls and temples in inscriptions, which preserve a record of the building history.

Assur as a trading centre

In the second millennium BCE, merchants from Assur maintained extensive trade connections with Anatolia, particularly with the trading centre of Kanesh (present-day Kültepe in Turkey). Thousands of cuneiform tablets have been found there, showing how merchant families managed metals, textiles, and money, and documenting practices of debt and partnerships. This archive is among the most important sources for understanding the economy of the ancient Near East.

Decline and excavation

The city fell when the Assyrian empire collapsed in the late seventh century BCE, destroyed by an alliance of Babylonians and Medes attacking the major centres. There was some small settlement in the Persian and Parthian periods. Large-scale archaeological excavations began in the early twentieth century, and texts and objects from the site are held in museums in Iraq and Europe. UNESCO has inscribed the site on the World Heritage List, and concerns have been raised about threats from water damage and deterioration.