Ninawa

Ninawa is a name used for two related entities in northern Iraq: the ancient city of Nineveh and the modern Ninawa Governorate, of which Mosul is the capital. The term appears in several languages and is often transliterated as Ninawa in Arabic sources.

Ancient Nineveh refers to the historic Assyrian capital located on the eastern bank of the Tigris, near the site of the modern city of Mosul. It rose to prominence in the Neo-Assyrian period (roughly the 9th to 7th centuries BCE) and was a major political and cultural center under rulers such as Sennacherib and Esarhaddon. The city reached its decline in 612 BCE when a coalition of Medes and Babylonians destroyed it. Today the ruins near Kuyunjik form an important archaeological site, yielding palatial complexes, city walls, and inscriptions that illuminate Mesopotamian history. The site is part of the broader historical heritage associated with Mesopotamia and is linked to biblical and classical traditions.

Ninawa Governorate, or Nineveh Governorate, is a province in northern Iraq with Mosul as its capital. It encompasses urban areas, farmland, and the Nineveh Plain, a region with a long-standing mix of Arab, Kurdish, Turkmen, and Assyrian communities. The governorate borders the Kurdistan Region to the east and has been shaped by centuries of trade and cultural exchange. In the 21st century, Ninawa was severely affected by the 2014–2017 conflict with ISIS, leading to displacement and extensive reconstruction efforts. Archaeological and cultural heritage within the governorate continues to attract scholarly interest and international attention, reflecting its dual legacy as both an ancient heartland and a modern, diverse region.