Dur-Sharrukin

Dur-Sharrukin was a planned Assyrian capital founded by Sargon II in the eighth century BCE. Its remains lie at Khorsabad in northern Iraq.

Sargon II: Sargon II was king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 721 to 705 BCE. He founded Dur-Sharrukin and made it his royal capital.
Khorsabad: Khorsabad is the modern village and archaeological site in northern Iraq that contains the remains of Dur-Sharrukin. The ancient capital is identified with this site near Mosul.
Palace of Sargon II: The Palace of Sargon II was the royal residence and administrative center built within Dur-Sharrukin's citadel. Its rooms and courtyards formed the city's monumental centerpiece.
Paul-Émile Botta: Paul-Émile Botta was a French diplomat and archaeologist whose excavations at Khorsabad began in 1843. His excavations brought Dur-Sharrukin's palace sculptures to European attention.
Neo-Assyrian Empire: The Neo-Assyrian Empire was a Mesopotamian empire that dominated the Near East from the tenth to seventh centuries BCE. Dur-Sharrukin was built during its imperial expansion.
Nimrud: Nimrud is the modern name for Kalhu, an ancient Assyrian city that served as an imperial capital. It was the capital Sargon left when he founded Dur-Sharrukin.
Gate of Sargon: The Gate of Sargon is a monumental entrance at the archaeological site of Dur-Sharrukin, flanked by protective sculptures. It shows how the city's gateways combined defense with royal display.
Victor Place: Victor Place was a French archaeologist and diplomat who excavated Khorsabad in the 1850s. His work documented the site after Botta's initial excavations.
Assyrian architecture: Assyrian architecture encompasses the monumental buildings and construction traditions of ancient Assyria. The city's palaces and fortifications exemplify royal Assyrian building.
Nineveh: Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city that became the empire's final capital and one of the largest cities of its time. Sargon's successor transferred the capital there instead of continuing his new city.

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