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Nineveh is an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris. The ruins are across the river from Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq. Ancient Nineveh’s mound-ruins are surrounded by a 12-kilometre brick rampart. This area is overlaid in parts by new suburbs of the city of Mosul.

Nineveh was important for commercial routes crossing the Tigris because of a central position on the great highway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The ruins of Nineveh are surrounded by the remains of a massive stone wall dating from about 700 BC. The wall system included a stone tower every 18 metres. The city wall had fifteen monumental gateways which may have served as barracks and armories. Five of the gateways have been explored by archaeologists.

Nimrud is located on the river Tigris, just south of Nineveh. It was an ancient Assyrian city. In Assyrian times the city was called Kalḫu. The name Nimrud came from the Arabs after the Biblical Nimrod.

The city is about the size of 41 km2. Ruins of the city are found in Iraq, southeast of Mosul. The ancient site of Nimrud was investigated by Layard, who regarded the site as a district of Nineveh.

Excavations revealed, among other treasures, a statue of the king Ashurnasirpal II and giant winged lions with human heads. A large number of inscriptions reveal more details about the king than are known for any other ruler of this epoch.

The famous Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III was discovered in 1846. The monument is shaped like a temple tower. The “Treasure of Nimrud”, however, is a collection of 613 pieces of gold and jewelry. This treasure has been in a bank vault during the time of invasion 2003 and the looting and is still complete.