Ancient Assyria
From a city on the Tigris to a major imperial power: an introduction to the places, periods and evidence.
An Assyrian knowledge archiveA civilisation.
A civilisation.
A people.
A living story.
Explore the history, language and culture of Assyria. From the cities of ancient Mesopotamia to the voices carrying a rich heritage into tomorrow.
THE GUARDIANS OF NIMRUDDiscover the lamassu
Human-headed winged lion, Nimrud, c. 883-859 BCE. The Met, 32.143.2. Public domain image; resized.
Many ways into one rich story
Where will you begin?
Follow a curiosity. Discover a connection.
There is more than one way to know a culture.
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History & archaeology
Cities, empires, archaeology and the evidence they leave.
Language & literature
Living languages, literary worlds and the written word.
Arts & traditions
Music, dance, food and the ways culture is carried forward.
Faith & communities
Churches, traditions and shared spiritual inheritances.
Places & heritage
Historic places and the responsibility of preservation.
People & diaspora
Lives, journeys and communities across generations.
A place to start
View all articles Know the foundations.
Understanding Assyrian identity
Assyrian historical heritage across church affiliations: religious labels and modern ethnic claims do not supply missing ancient ancestry evidence.
Aramaic: a family of histories
A broad linguistic tradition with many historical forms and modern speaker communities.
CULTURE, IN MOTIONAssyrian folk dance at Taraz Fest, Yerevan, 2023. Volare42. CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and displayed with a crop; this image adaptation is available under the same licence.
A heritage carried forwardHeritage lives
Heritage lives
through people.
In a song passed between generations. In a language spoken at home. In a dance that brings everyone into the circle.
Meet the traditions, stories and communities that make Assyrian culture a living inheritance.
Discover living culture Explore voices and migrationPlace stories in context
Explore the timeline Across the centuries.
Early 2nd millennium BCE
The merchants of Ashur
Clay tablets record an interconnected trading world.
Fourth century CEThe Syriac literary world
Poetry, scholarship and the life of Ephrem.
Twentieth centuryJourneys and new homes
Hear one family's migration story in Australia.
Living cultureThe next chapter
Languages and traditions carried forward.
Selected moments across different histories. Connections require evidence; the timeline does not imply an unchanged political or linguistic identity.
Wonder, with an evidence trailEvery story starts
Every story starts
with a source.
Go beyond the introduction. Follow links to museum objects, linguistic research, manuscripts, oral histories and community perspectives.
Open the source libraryThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtUniversity of CambridgeBeth MarduthoUNESCO World Heritage CentreSelected reference publishers. No affiliation or endorsement.