Nineveh

Nineveh was an ancient Near Eastern city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul in northern Iraq. It was situated on the eastern bank of the Tigris River and served as the capital and largest city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. At its height, it was possibly the wealthiest city in the ancient world.

The city remained the largest in the world for about fifty years until 612 BC, when it was sacked by a coalition of former subject peoples including the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians. After this event, Nineveh was never again a major political or administrative center. However, during Late Antiquity, it became the seat of a bishop of the Church of the East.

Today, the ruins of Nineveh lie across the river from the historical city center of Mosul. The main tells, or mound-ruins, are Tell Kuyunjiq and Tell Nabī Yūnus, which contains a shrine dedicated to Jonah. According to the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, Jonah was a prophet who preached in Nineveh. Many Assyrian sculptures and artifacts discovered there are now displayed in museums around the world.

Name

The name Nineveh comes from ancient languages like Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Akkadian. Different cultures had their own ways to say the city's name: it was called Ninuwa in Mari, Ninawa in Aramaic and Arabic, and Ninwe in Syriac.

Some other names for parts of the area include Nabī Yūnus, meaning "Prophet Jonah" in Arabic, and Kuyunjiq, a Turkish name meaning "little sheep."

Geography

The ruins of ancient Nineveh are found near the modern city of Mosul, on the eastern side of the Tigris River. The area covers around 750 hectares (1,900 acres) and is marked by large mounds and old walls. This site is split by the Khosr River; the northern part is called Kuyunjiq and the southern part is called Nebi Yunus. Important remains, such as palaces and a mosque, can still be seen there today.

History

Nineveh was founded as early as 6000 BC during the late Neolithic period. It started as a small farming village and grew over time. By 5000 BC, it became part of the Ubaid culture and developed into a proto-city.

During the Bronze Age, Nineveh became more important. It was part of the Akkadian Empire and later the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia. In the Iron Age, it grew greatly under the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Kings like Ashurnasirpal II, Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal built many palaces and temples.

Sennacherib made Nineveh very influential around 700 BC. He built large palaces, including one with 80 rooms, and created wide streets and squares. The city had many inhabitants and was one of the largest settlements in the world at the time. After Ashurbanipal’s death, the empire weakened, and Nineveh was attacked and destroyed in 612 BC.

Biblical Nineveh

In the Hebrew Bible, Nineveh is mentioned as a city built by either the person Ashur or the country Assyria. According to the Book of Jonah, Nineveh was a very large city, taking three days to walk across, with more than 120,000 people living there. The book tells the story of Jonah being sent to warn the city about its wickedness. The people of Nineveh fasted and repented, leading God to spare the city.

The book of the prophet Nahum speaks about the future destruction of Nineveh as a judgment against the pride of Assyria. Other parts of the Bible, like Isaiah and Zephaniah, also mention the fall of Nineveh. Today, some Christian and Syriac traditions remember Jonah's time in the fish during a special fast called the Fast of Nineveh.

Archaeology

Carsten Niebuhr recorded the location of Nineveh during a Danish expedition in the 1760s. In 1842, French archaeologist Paul-Émile Botta began searching the mounds along the river and discovered the ruins of a royal palace. British diplomat Austen Henry Layard explored the ruins in 1847 and 1849, finding the palace of Sennacherib and the famous library of Ashurbanipal with thousands of clay tablets.

Many archaeologists continued to work at the site, uncovering palaces, temples, and many artifacts. After World War II, Iraqi archaeologists conducted excavations, followed by teams from around the world. Recently, projects have focused on restoring damaged sites and studying ancient water systems. Since 2018, efforts have been made to explore tunnels and protect the ruins from damage.

Threats to the site

The ancient city of Nineveh faces many challenges that threaten its preservation. Without proper roofing, important carvings and carvings are slowly decaying, and some people have dug holes in the ground looking for treasures. As the city around it grows, there is less space and care for the old site.

A big danger comes from the Mosul Dam, which could break and flood the entire area under deep water. During the time when a group called ISIL controlled the area, they damaged many important statues and artifacts, calling them wrong or wrong beliefs. They also destroyed parts of the old city walls and opened new roads through the site. Even after their control ended, new buildings and waste dumping continue to harm the ruins. Efforts are now being made to protect and care for the site, but it remains at risk.

Rogation of the Ninevites (Nineveh's Wish)

Some Christian groups, including the Ancient Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of the East, and Saint Thomas Christians of the Syro-Malabar Church, observe a special fast called Ba'uta d-Ninwe, meaning "Nineveh's Prayer." This tradition is also kept by Copts and the Ethiopian Orthodox people.

In popular culture

The ancient city of Nineveh has inspired many writers and artists. English poet Edwin Atherstone wrote an epic called The Fall of Nineveh, which tells the story of a rebellion against the king. Another artist, John Martin, painted a piece with the same name, inspired by Atherstone’s poem. Famous poets like John Masefield, Rudyard Kipling, and Arthur O’Shaughnessy also mentioned Nineveh in their works.