Dur-Sharrukin Archaeological Site

Address: Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad), near Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq

Dur-Sharrukin, also known as Khorsabad, is the ruined Assyrian city built as the capital by King Sargon II in the late 8th century BCE. It was constructed as a planned royal city with a palace, temples and fortified walls and was occupied for a relatively short period before being abandoned.

Excavations in the mid-19th century by Paul-Emile Botta uncovered monumental reliefs, guardian figures and architectural elements that provided early European museums with major Assyrian collections. The site includes the remains of the royal palace, administrative quarters and the city’s fortifications.

Dur-Sharrukin lies in northern Iraq near the modern village of Khorsabad, northeast of Mosul, and its ruins are set on a flat plain that was once part of the Assyrian heartland.

• Founding and excavation: Founded in the late 8th century BCE by Sargon II as a new Assyrian capital; the city was excavated in the 1840s by Paul-Emile Botta, yielding major sculptures and reliefs now dispersed among museums.

What to See#

• Royal palace of Sargon II: The royal palace complex of the Assyrian king, including large halls, exterior relief-decorated walls and administrative rooms excavated in the 19th century and later campaigns.
• City walls and gates: The massive perimeter walls and gate complexes that formed the planned Assyrian capital, with monumental guardian figures and decorated entrances.

• Dur‑Sharrukin (ancient Khorsabad) is an archaeological tell near the modern Khorsabad village; confirm current security and access conditions with local authorities in Nineveh Governorate before travel.
• Bear in mind that many prominent reliefs from the site were removed to museums abroad, so combine any on-site visit with trips to museum collections (or their online catalogues) if you want to study the best-preserved sculptures and inscriptions.