The ISIS militants has begun bulldozing the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq in their latest attack on Iraq’s historical heritage.
Historical remains at Nimrud
According to the report from the tourism and antiquities ministry, ISIS assaulted the historic city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy vehicles.
Nimrud
- The later Arab name of an ancient Assyrian city located in northern Mesopotamia (present day Iraq)
- It was founded in 13th century BC and lies on Tigris river around 30km southeast of Mosul – Iraq’s second city and the IS group’s main hub in the country.
- The city is located in a strategic position six miles north of the point that the river Tigris meets its tributary the Great Zab.
- Archaeologists believe that the city was given the name Nimrud in modern times after the Biblical Nimrod, a legendary hunting hero.
- The city covered an area of 360 hectares (890 acres).
- Archaeological excavations at the site began in 1845, and were conducted at intervals between then and 1879, and then from 1949 onwards.
- Many important pieces were discovered, with most being moved to museums in Iraq and abroad.
Nimrud Project
In 2013 the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council established the “Nimrud Project” in order to identify and record the history of the world’s collection of artefacts from Nimrud, distributed amongst at least 76 museums worldwide (including 36 in the United States and 13 in the United Kingdom).
