Assur-Nasir-Apli Palace II
If we want a brief introduction to the great works of the Assyrians, we must go back to the beginning of Assur-Nasir II. In Kalhu (in present-day Nimrud), Assyria-Apli Nasser II ordered the construction of what was then called the Cedrus Palace, the Northwest Palace. According to the archaeological evidence available, this was the first time that reliefs were placed in the palace for decorative purposes, the purpose of which was to glorify the king's exploits.
Assur-Nasir II marks the beginning of New Assyrian narrative art carved on alabaster tablets. Three main themes appear in these reliefs:
- glorifying the power of the king,
- a presentation of his military exploits, or
- the religious symbolism surrounding the person of the ruler.
The carved stone slabs outside the great throne room, with their impressive theatrical effect, were thus intended to proclaim the glory of the monarch as he received the homage of envoys and tax-paying nations. As one approached the entrance to the reception rooms of the palace, no one could escape their influence. It filled the Assyrians with pride, the foreigners with humility.
The themes of war and hunting are mainly present in the rooms where the receptions took place, so they are also found outside the throne room. All sides of the vast hall where the king received his envoys and subjects were decorated. The depictions of heroic deeds are accompanied by a long cuneiform text that divides the scenes into two registers and describes the lavish feasts the king gave on the occasion of the inauguration of the palace. Finally, the symbolic-cultic motif is also represented, in the depiction of the king performing the rite of purification in each room and in the throne room, in front of the "sacred tree" (at the British Museum, shown in London)
Palace of Sarrukkín II
Following a period of scarcity of archaeological sources from the reign of Tukulti-apil- Esarra III, the programme to glorify the king is once again more richly documented. The palace of Nimrud is identified with the remains of the Southwest Palace. However, Assyrian art reached its 'classical' level with Sarrukin II. This mighty king, conqueror of vast territories, went far beyond the boundaries of the great Mesopotamian empire that preceded him. He founded a new city and made it his seat. Horsabad (as it is now called) was a vast expanse of territory, then known as the 'fortress of Sarrukin', Dur-Sarrukin, and was the king's expression of his desire for central power. Sarrukín, meaning "legitimate king", like the legendary Akkadian Sarrukín.
The city plan officially included only the construction of temples to the Assyrian gods, but eventually the royal palace was built, with its magnificent carved reliefs, which are now on display in the at the Louvre in Paris are visible. The regular, largely rectangular layout of buildings and infrastructure is clearly visible on the urban landscape. The city itself is a rectangle of nearly equal sides, with diagonals running north-south and east-west. The citadel rises on the side between the northern and eastern corners, and is not only aesthetically impressive, but also visually impressive in its architectural concept. Some recent hypotheses have suggested that, because Nineveh and Babylon were confused, as some biblical texts suggest, the famous Babylonian hanging gardens were originally mistakenly associated with the southern capital, but were in fact in the Assyrian capital.
Built by Colour-Ahhé-Eriba, the magnificent palace, now preserved in the British Museum, is decorated with a series of reliefs and is known as the "Párja-nincs palace". Of course, the reason the king rebuilt Nineveh on such monumental foundations and made it a 'matchless' wonder was that his policy was determined to eliminate dependence on Babylon, both culturally and prestige-wise. It should be remembered that, in contrast to the grandiose works at Nineveh, the destruction of the Babylonian capital was also on his mind.
Palace of Colour-Ahhé-Eriba
Sarrukín II launched an impressive urban planning and arts programme. His son, Szín-Ahhé-Eriba, made this his main goal, despite the weakening of control over the territories conquered by his father. Szín-Ahhé-Eriba presented himself as the new founder of Nineveh, already an incredibly ancient city. He wanted to give the impression that he was not only in control of people but also of nature, through the massive construction and water control works he carried out there. Water control made Nineveh suitable as a home for exotic animals and botanical gardens, again to emphasise the centralised power of the Assyrian ruler, which reached beyond the Mesopotamian border.
