Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.

Underground door unopened for 2,634 years found in Iraq's Ninawa

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 1 Nov 2022 12:16
3 Min Read

Excavations in Iraq discover hidden corridors containing sculpture reliefs dating back to the great siege of the Assyrian Empire.

  • x
  • A depiction of a military camp – (Michael Danti)
    A slab depicting Assyrian archers, while the conical pattern in the background indicates the hilly or mountainous environment they were located in (Michael Danti)

In April, archeologists made a breathtaking discovery excavating in the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh (Ninawa Governorate), currently located in northern Iraq, which was destroyed by ISIS in recent years.

A locked doorway that had never been found during any prior excavations or surveys of the location was cautiously opened for the first time in 2,634 years. Archeologists peered down a dusty corridor.

Amazing sculptures depicting military camps and warriors that detail the invasions of Mesopotamia by Assyrian king Sennacherib were found as a result of this discovery.

They continue to be breathtaking in their clarity and precision and as findings portrayed a shift in Neo-Assyrian relief sculptures. The Neo-Assyrian relief sculptures, contrary to the earlier stages of the Assyrian Empire, made use of every available square inch to represent the various tribes and ethnic groups that made up the Assyrian Empire, in addition to the ethnic group of Assyrians themselves.

According to Nat Geo, who cited Michael Danti, a professor of archeology at the University of Pennsylvania who is a member of the excavation team, the discovered sculptures are “better than the ones in the British Museum,” adding that "they really show the high-relief carving, the detail of Sennacherib’s sculptures which were revolutionary at the time.”

A few of the Assyrian reliefs of king Sennacherib from the Ninawa SBAH/Penn IHSP excavations at Nineveh Mashki Gate 2022 sponsored by the Penn Museum and ALIPH Foundation. @ALIPHFoundation @UPennNELC @IraqHSP pic.twitter.com/t14eZhhg5V

— Michael Danti (@DantiMdanti) October 21, 2022

Here, Danti referenced relief sculptures found during excavations in Ninawa back in the 19th century.

These treasures were uncovered while two organizations, the University of Pennsylvania's Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program and the Ninawa Antiquities and Heritage Inspectorate, started rebuilding the Mashki Gate, one of Ninawa's 18 gates, after ISIS had devastated it.

  • A depiction of a military camp (Michael Danti)
    A depiction of a military camp (Michael Danti)

The architectural layer they discovered beyond the fortified gateway was from the time the city was taken over by the Medes and Babylonians in the late Iron Age Neo-Assyrian Empire in the 600s BCE.

As restorers and archaeologists started their excavations, they discovered human remains dating back to this historical siege. Ironically, the panels that revealed the magnificent artworks had been turned upside down and utilized as construction materials. The panels, which measured around 5 by 6.5 feet, were resting against the gate's mud brick walls.

Ali Al-Jobouri, a member of the excavation team and a retired dean of the University of Mosul’s College of Archaeology, “It’s something none of us expected,” adding that “when you discover such things and you’re able to touch them with your hand, this is something very, very exciting.”

These reliefs, in contrast to a large number of previous discoveries from the Near East, will stay in Iraq.

Read more: 2,700-year-old Assyrian carvings found in Iraq park

  • Relief Sculptures
  • Iraq
  • Assyrian Empire
  • Assyrian Discoveries
  • Nineveh
  • Ninawa

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS