Khorsabad (Dur-Sharrukin)
Dur-Sharrukin · Khorsabad Fortress · Qal'at Khorsabad
Neo-Assyrian (713–705 BCE construction and occupation only)·Assyrian·🇮🇶 Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
About
About Khorsabad (Dur-Sharrukin)
Short-lived Assyrian capital built 713–707 BCE by Sargon II as brand-new square city 1.628 km side with seven gates, 24 km walls, and palace on citadel. Palace with lamassu, glazed bricks, courts, and 2,800 m of bas-relief. Abandoned after Sargon's death in battle 705 BCE and never completed. Excavated by Paul-Émile Botta (1843 first Assyrian discovery) and later Oriental Institute.
Why it mattersFirst Assyrian city discovered; model planned imperial city
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether unfinished city ever functioned as administrative capital
- 02Sargon's death curse linked to new city's abandonment (taboo)
Theories
- 01Botta's 1843 discovery founded Assyriology and Louvre Assyrian department
- 02ISIS 2015 demolition targeted 19th c excavations already removed to museums
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 713–707 BCE by Sargon II
- Period
- Neo-Assyrian (713–705 BCE construction and occupation only)
- Culture
- Assyrian
- Purpose
- Purpose-built imperial capital proclaiming Sargon II's ideology; abandoned after king's death
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
713–707 BCE by Sargon II
Initial construction
c. 1336 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
36.5100° N · 43.2283° E · 340 m · 3 mapped features
Palace of Sargon II
palacePalace on citadel with throne room, lamassu gates and 2,800 m reliefs (now Louvre/Chicago)
36.5115° N · 43.2300° ECity Walls and Gates
wallSquare city wall with Shamash and Adad gates
36.5100° N · 43.2283° ELamassu Gate
gateHuman-headed winged bull portal now largely removed to museums
36.5110° N · 43.2295° E