Assyrian Empire | ||||||||||||
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Capital | Aššur, Nineveh | |||||||||||
Languages | ||||||||||||
Religion | Ancient Mesopotamian religion | |||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | |||||||||||
King | ||||||||||||
• | c. 2500 BC | Tudiya (first) | ||||||||||
• | 612-599 BC | Ashur-uballit II (last) | ||||||||||
Historical era | Mesopotamia | |||||||||||
• | Kikkiya overthrown | 2500 BC | ||||||||||
• | Decline of Assyria | 612 - 599 BC 605 BC | ||||||||||
Currency | Tekel | |||||||||||
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Today part of |
Syria Iraq Turkey Iran |
Early Period | ||||||||||
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Capital | Aššur | |||||||||
Languages | Akkadian language | |||||||||
Religion | Ancient Mesopotamian religion | |||||||||
Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
King | ||||||||||
• | c. 2450 BC | Tudiya (first) | ||||||||
• | c. 2025 BC | Ilu-shuma (last) | ||||||||
Historical era | Bronze Age | |||||||||
• | Established | c. 2600 BC | ||||||||
• | Disestablished | c. 2025 BC | ||||||||
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Today part of | Iraq |
Old Assyrian Empire | ||||||||||||
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Capital | Aššur | |||||||||||
Languages | Akkadian language | |||||||||||
Religion | Ancient Mesopotamian religion | |||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | |||||||||||
King | ||||||||||||
• | circa 2025 BC | Erishum I (first) | ||||||||||
• | circa 1393 BC | Ashur-nadin-ahhe II (last) | ||||||||||
Historical era | Bronze Age | |||||||||||
• | Established | circa 2025 BC | ||||||||||
• | Disestablished | circa 1750 BC | ||||||||||
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Today part of |
Iraq Syria Turkey |
Middle Assyrian Empire | ||||||||||
Middle Assyrian Empire | ||||||||||
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Map of the Ancient Near East during the Amarna Period (14th century BC), showing the great powers of the day: Egypt (orange), Hatti (blue), the Kassite kingdom of Babylon (black), Assyria (yellow), and Mitanni (brown). The extent of the Achaean/Mycenaean civilization is shown in purple.
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Capital | Aššur | |||||||||
Languages | Akkadian | |||||||||
Religion | Ancient Mesopotamian religion | |||||||||
Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
King | ||||||||||
• | 1365–1330 BC | Ashur-uballit I (first) | ||||||||
• | 967–934 BC | Tiglath-Pileser II (last) | ||||||||
Historical era | Mesopotamia | |||||||||
• | Independence from Mitanni | 1392 BC | ||||||||
• | Reign of Ashur-dan II | 934 BC | ||||||||
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Neo-Assyrian Empire | ||||||||||||||||||||
Neo-Assyrian Empire | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Map of the Neo-Assyrian Empire and its expansions.
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Capital |
Aššur 911 BC Kalhu 879 BC Dur-Sharrukin 706 BC Nineveh 705 BC Harran 612 BC |
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Languages | Akkadian, Aramaic, Sumerian | |||||||||||||||||||
Religion | Ancient Mesopotamian religion | |||||||||||||||||||
Government | Monarchy | |||||||||||||||||||
King | ||||||||||||||||||||
• | 911–891 BC | Adad-nirari II (first) | ||||||||||||||||||
• | 612–608 BC | Ashur-uballit II (last) | ||||||||||||||||||
Historical era | Iron Age | |||||||||||||||||||
• | Reign of Adad-nirari II | 911 BC | ||||||||||||||||||
• | Battle of Nineveh | 612 BC | ||||||||||||||||||
• | Fall of Harran | 605 BC | ||||||||||||||||||
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Today part of |
Iraq Syria Turkey Egypt Saudi Arabia Jordan Iran Kuwait Lebanon Palestine Cyprus Armenia Israel |
Assyria was a major Mesopotamian East Semitic-speaking kingdom and empire of the ancient Near East. It existed as a state from perhaps as early as the 25th century BC in the form of the Assur city-state, until its lapse between 612 BC and 599 BC, spanning the Early to Middle Bronze Age through to the late Iron Age.
From the end of the seventh century BC to the mid-seventh century AD, it survived as a geopolitical entity, for the most part ruled by foreign powers, although a number of Neo-Assyrian states arose at different times during the Parthian and early Sasanian Empires between the mid-second century BC and late third century AD, a period which also saw Assyria become a major centre of Syriac Christianity and the birthplace of the Church of the East.
Centered on the Tigris in Upper Mesopotamia (modern northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and the northwestern fringes of Iran), the Assyrians came to rule powerful empires at several times. Making up a substantial part of the greater Mesopotamian "cradle of civilization", which included Sumer, the Akkadian Empire, and Babylonia, Assyria was at the height of technological, scientific and cultural achievements for its time. At its peak, the Assyrian empire stretched from Cyprus and the East Mediterranean to Iran, and from what is now Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Caucasus, to the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt and eastern Libya.