Nimrud is a lost and buried city in Iraq, Asia. Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage gives its chronology as “Capital from c. 879 BCE.” Its listed material is Mud brick. Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage also records: “Assyrian capital.”
An Assyrian royal city famous for its palace reliefs and ivories.
What makes it extraordinary
Palatial Engineering and Expansion
The architectural scale of Nimrud was defined by its massive palaces, particularly those of Ashurnasirpal II and his son Shalmaneser III. The latter's palace far surpassed his father's in scale, covering approximately 5 hectares and containing more than 200 rooms. These structures were famously guarded by colossal lamassu—winged, human-headed lions and bulls—that were carved in the round at the head and in relief along the body. These massive guardian figures weighed between 10 and 30 short tons each, requiring complex pulley systems and hundreds of men to move.
Nineteenth-Century Archaeological Discovery
Modern archaeological exploration of Nimrud began in 1845 under Austen Henry Layard, who initially believed the site was part of Nineveh. Work continued at intervals until 1879, involving figures such as Hormuzd Rassam, William Loftus, and George Smith. During this era, many of the city's most significant artifacts, including the colossal guardian figures and the Black Obelisk, were transported to the British Museum. The transport of two 10-ton colossi to London in 1847 required a barge kept afloat by 600 goatskins and sheepskins and a team of 300 men to tow the wheeled cart.
Systematic Documentation and Reconstruction
Between 1974 and 1976, Janusz Meuszyński of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology directed a project to document the entire site on film. This effort included photographing every relief remaining in situ as well as broken fragments scattered across various rooms. Working with architect Richard P. Sobolewski, the team recorded the site in plan and elevation, allowing for the reconstruction of entire relief compositions. This documentation proved critical for understanding the original placement of fragments that had been dispersed to at least 76 museums worldwide, including 36 in the United States.
Post-War Recovery and Security
Following the liberation of Nimrud in November 2016, a renovation program supported by UNESCO was initiated in July 2017. The first phase focused on damage assessment and the preservation of cultural heritage in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution, while the second phase, launched in 2019, aimed to restore the northern palace. Security for the ancient city is currently managed by the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, an ethnic Assyrian security force. Although excavation resumed in 2022, full-scale reconstruction and tourism plans are not expected to be implemented for at least a decade.
Urban Scale and Peak Population
By 800 BCE, Nimrud had expanded into a massive urban center covering 360 hectares, protected by city walls 7.5 kilometers in length. During this period, its population reached approximately 75,000 residents, which established it as the most populous urban center in the world at that time. The city's infrastructure included not only royal offices and residential buildings but also botanical gardens featuring foreign plants collected during military campaigns and what is considered perhaps the first large-scale zoo ever constructed.
The Black Obelisk and Biblical Links
Discovered by Austen Henry Layard in 1846, the Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III is a six-and-a-half-foot tall monument featuring 24 relief panels and inscriptions commemorating military campaigns from 859 to 824 BC. It is highly significant to biblical archaeology because one panel contains an inscription widely interpreted as referring to King Jehu of Israel. This is considered the earliest known depiction of an Israelite in historical records. The obelisk's unique design features a top shaped like a temple tower that terminates in three distinct steps.
Etymological Debate and Identification
The name 'Nimrud' was first recorded by Carsten Niebuhr in the mid-18th century, but the site's biblical identity was heavily debated by 19th-century scholars. Various researchers identified the ruins with different cities mentioned in Genesis 10, including Larissa, Resen, Rehoboth, and Ashur. It was not until the mid-19th century that Henry Rawlinson correctly identified the site as the biblical Calah (Assyrian Kalhu) based on cuneiform readings. The name Nimrud itself is considered a modern misidentification with the biblical figure Nimrod, though it remains the commonly used designation for the site.
Strategic Selection and Capital Status
Nimrud, originally known as Kalhu, was established as a trading settlement under Shalmaneser I between 1274 and 1245 BCE. It occupied a vital commercial position on the path connecting Ashur and Nineveh, situated 10 kilometers north of the confluence of the Tigris and the Great Zab. Ashurnasirpal II later selected the site as his new capital, clearing collapsed defenses to build a city intended to surpass all previous Assyrian rulers. It served as the imperial capital from 879 until 706 BCE, when Sargon II moved the seat of government to Dur-Sharrukin.
Royal Burial and Interment Traditions
While Assyrian kings were traditionally buried in the city of Ashur, Nimrud served as the primary interment site for their queens. Archaeological excavations in 1988 revealed four royal tombs belonging to the queens of several prominent monarchs, including Ashurnasirpal II, Tiglath-Pileser III, Shalmaneser V, and Sargon II. These discoveries highlight the city's continued ritual importance even after the capital was moved. Additionally, the site yielded the 'Treasure of Nimrud,' a collection of 613 pieces of gold jewelry and precious stones that survived the 2003 invasion of Iraq in a bank vault.
Systematic Destruction by ISIL
In early 2015, the terrorist organization ISIL began the systematic destruction of Nimrud, labeling the ancient Assyrian monuments as 'un-Islamic' and idolatrous. The group used bulldozers to level excavated remains and later released videos showing militants using hammers and explosives to blow up parts of the city. Aerial photographs from November 2016 confirmed the systematic leveling of the Great Ziggurat by heavy machinery. By the time Iraqi forces recaptured the site in late 2016, approximately 90% of the excavated portion of the city had been completely destroyed.
