Nineveh

Nineveh was an ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia. Today, it is located in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. The city sat on the eastern side of the Tigris River. It was the capital and biggest city of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. At one time, it may have been the richest city in the ancient world.

The city stayed the largest in the world for about fifty years. Then, in 612 BC, it was attacked by a group of people who had been ruled by the empire. These included the Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians. After that, Nineveh was never a major city again. But later, during Late Antiquity, it became an important place for a leader of the Church of the East.

Today, the old parts of Nineveh are across the river from Mosul's historic center. The main mound-ruins are Tell Kuyunjiq and Tell Nabī Yūnus. This second mound has a shrine for Jonah. The Hebrew Bible and the Quran say that Jonah was a prophet who spoke in Nineveh. Many Assyrian sculptures and other old objects found there are now in museums around the world.

Name

The name Nineveh comes from old languages like Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Akkadian. Different cultures said the city's name in their own ways: 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 near the modern city of Mosul, on the eastern side of the Tigris River. The area covers around 750 hectares (1,900 acres) and has big mounds and old walls. The 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 many 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.

Biblical Nineveh

In the Hebrew Bible, Nineveh is a city said to be built by either a person named Ashur or the country of Assyria. The Book of Jonah describes Nineveh as a very large city that would take three days to walk across, with over 120,000 people living there. The story tells of Jonah being sent to warn the city about its bad behavior. The people of Nineveh fasted and changed their ways, and because of this, God decided not to destroy the city.

The book of the prophet Nahum talks about the future fall of Nineveh as a punishment for Assyria's pride. Other parts of the Bible, such as Isaiah and Zephaniah, also mention the fall of Nineveh. Today, some Christian and Syriac traditions honor Jonah's time inside the fish with a special fast called the Fast of Nineveh.

Archaeology

Carsten Niebuhr found Nineveh during a trip in the 1760s. In 1842, a French archaeologist named Paul-Émile Botta started looking at the mounds by the river and found the ruins of a royal palace. A British diplomat, Austen Henry Layard, visited the ruins in 1847 and 1849. He found the palace of Sennacherib and the famous library of Ashurbanipal with thousands of clay tablets.

Many archaeologists kept working at the site. They found palaces, temples, and many old objects. After World War II, archaeologists from Iraq and other countries continued the work. Recently, projects have focused on fixing damaged sites and learning about ancient water systems. Since 2018, people have worked to explore tunnels and protect the ruins.

Threats to the site

The ancient city of Nineveh has many problems that make it hard to keep safe. Without roofs, important carvings are getting worse, and some people have dug holes looking for treasures. As the city grows, there is less space and care for the old site.

A big danger comes from the Mosul Dam. If it breaks, the whole area could flood. When a group called ISIL controlled the area, they hurt many important statues and artifacts. They also destroyed parts of the old city walls and made new roads through the site. Even now, new buildings and waste dumping still harm the ruins. People are working to protect and care for the site, but it is still at risk.

Rogation of the Ninevites (Nineveh's Wish)

Some Christian groups, like 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, hold a special fast called Ba'uta d-Ninwe, which means "Nineveh's Prayer." This tradition is also followed 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. This tells a story about a rebellion. Artist John Martin painted a piece with the same name, inspired by the poem. Famous poets like John Masefield, Rudyard Kipling, and Arthur O’Shaughnessy also mentioned Nineveh in their works.