Kuyunjik

Kuyunjik is the northern tell on the site of ancient Nineveh, located on the east bank of the Tigris opposite Mosul, Iraq. It is one of the two principal mounds that mark the remains of the Assyrian capital, the other being Nabi Yunus. The mound preserves substantial Neo-Assyrian remains, including royal palaces, city walls, and administrative buildings, dating to roughly the 9th to 7th centuries BCE. The most famous feature is the Library of Ashurbanipal, discovered during 19th‑century excavations and containing thousands of cuneiform tablets.

Excavation history: systematic work began in the 1840s with Paul-Émile Botta, and continued with Austen Henry Layard and Hormuzd Rassam, yielding a wealth of inscriptions and artifacts later distributed to major museums such as the British Museum and the Iraq Museum.

Modern significance: Kuyunjik provides essential evidence for understanding Assyrian administration, culture, religion, and daily life. The site has yielded a large corpus of texts and reliefs that illuminate the Neo-Assyrian empire. In recent years, the mound and surrounding ruins have suffered damage and looting linked to armed conflict in the region, and conservation and safeguarding efforts have been pursued by Iraqi authorities and international partners.