Nineveh

Nineveh is the name given to the ruins of an ancient Assyrian city located on the east bank of the Tigris River near modern Mosul in northern Iraq. At its height in the 7th century BCE it served as a major imperial capital of the Assyrian empire.

The archaeological complex comprises large tells (mounds) with remains of palaces, city walls and relief sculpture from the Neo-Assyrian period; excavated reliefs and inscriptions document royal building programmes and administration. On-site mounds such as Kuyunjik expose building foundations and archival deposits uncovered by historical and more recent excavations.

In addition to palatial remains, the site contains religious precincts and later historic layers; visitor access is limited and parts of the site have been affected by modern conflict and archaeological recovery work. Museum collections in Mosul and Baghdad hold many of the finest reliefs and inscriptions from the site.

Nineveh developed into a major Assyrian centre by the early 1st millennium BCE and became a principal capital under kings including Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. The city was captured and largely destroyed in 612 BCE during the fall of the Assyrian empire.

The ruins lie on the outskirts of modern Mosul in Nineveh Governorate on the east bank of the Tigris, forming one of the most significant ancient sites in northern Mesopotamia.

• Location and remains: The site is concentrated on the east bank of the Tigris opposite modern Mosul and contains major palaces and royal reliefs from the Neo-Assyrian period, notably from kings such as Sennacherib and Ashurbanipal.

What to See #

• Kuyunjik mound: Kuyunjik - the central tell (mound) that contains the remains of Assyrian palaces and administrative buildings excavated in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Nabi Yunus mound: Nabi Yunus - a high mound and traditional shrine area on the eastern edge of the site associated with the prophet Jonah and later historic structures.