Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq has uncovered a new Assyrian stele at the Bab Shams site innorthern Nineveh province, a discovery that adds to growing evidence of thecity’s historical depth, the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage reportedon Wednesday.
Ali Obaid Shalgham, head of the Board, confirmed that the artifact datesback to the 7th century BC.
Bab Shams, also known as Bab Shamshi, forms part of the ancientdefensive system of Nineveh, once the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The gateranks among 17 fortified entrances that once defined the city’s walls.
Located on the eastern edge of the ancient city, on the left bank ofmodern-day Mosul, Bab Shams served as a key access point in antiquity. It wasdedicated to Shamash, the Mesopotamian sun and justice deity, and functioned asa principal entry route for royal processions and trading caravans arrivingfrom eastern corridors. Stone stelae and carved inscriptions were commonlyinstalled at Assyrian city gates, documenting royal decrees and military campaigns.
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