Editing Nimrud (section)

{{short description|Ancient Assyrian city}}
{{About|the ancient city}}
{{distinguish|Birs Nimrud|Mount Nemrut}}
{{redirect|Kalhu|the village in Lorestan, Iran|Kolehu, Lorestan}}
{{Infobox ancient site
  |name = Nimrud
  |native_name =
  |alternate_name = Calah, Kalakh, Kalhu
  |image = Iraq; Nimrud - Assyria, Lamassu's Guarding Palace Entrance.jpg
  |alt =
  |caption = A [[lamassu]] at the North West Palace of [[Ashurnasirpal II]] before destruction in 2015.
  |map_type = Near East#Iraq
  |relief = yes
  |map_alt =
  |map_size =
  |coordinates = {{coord|36|05|53|N|43|19|44|E|display=inline,title}}
  |location = [[Numaniyah, Al-Hamdaniya]], [[Nineveh Governorate]], [[Iraq]]
  |region = [[Mesopotamia]]
  |type = Settlement
  |part_of =
  |length =
  |width =
  |area = {{convert|3.6|km2|abbr=on}}
  |height =
  |builder =
  |material =
  |built =
  |abandoned =
  |epochs = <!-- actually displays as "Periods" -->
  |cultures =
  |dependency_of =
  |occupants =
  |event =
  |excavations =
  |archaeologists =
  |condition =
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  |public_access =
  |website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
  |notes =
}}
'''Nimrud''' ({{IPAc-en|n|ɪ|m|ˈ|r|uː|d}}; {{langx|syr|ܢܢܡܪܕ}} {{langx|ar|النمرود}}) is an ancient [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] city (original Assyrian name '''Kalḫu''', biblical name Calah) located in Iraq, {{convert|20|mi|km|order=flip|sigfig=1}} south of the city of [[Mosul]], and {{convert|3|mi|km|order=flip|sigfig=1}} south of the village of Selamiyah ({{langx|ar|السلامية}}), in the [[Nineveh Plains]] in [[Upper Mesopotamia]]. It was a major Assyrian city between approximately 1350 BC and 610 BC. The city is located in a strategic position {{convert|6|mi|km|order=flip|sigfig=1}} north of the point that the river [[Tigris]] meets its [[tributary]] the [[Great Zab]].<ref name=Brill2>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fWNpIGNFz0IC&pg=PA923 Brill's Encyclopedia of Islam 1913-36], p.923</ref> The city covered an area of {{convert|360|ha}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mieroop|first=Marc van de|title=The Ancient Mesopotamian City|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=9780191588457|page=95|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_YKlbIp9pYMC&pg=PA95}}</ref> The ruins of the city were found within {{convert|1|km|yd|spell=in}} of the modern-day [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] village of [[Numaniyah, Al-Hamdaniya|Noomanea]] in [[Nineveh Governorate]], [[Iraq]].

The name Nimrud was recorded as the local name by [[Carsten Niebuhr]] in the mid-18th century.<ref name=Brill/><ref name="Niebuhr" group="note" >Niebuhr wrote on [http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/niebuhr1778bd2/0369?sid=0fabdc28157081fbcd7ee18d1d19f29d p.355]: [in original German]: "Bei Nimrud, einem verfallenen Castell etwa 8 Stunden von Mosul, findet man ein merkwürdigeres Werk. Hier ist von beiden Ufern ein Damm in den Tiger gebaut, um so viel Wasser zurück zu halten, als nöthig ist, die benachbarten Ländereien zu wässern." / [translated]: At Nimrud, a dilapidated castle about 8 hours outside of Mosul, one finds a more remarkable work. Here are both banks of a dam built in the Tigris to hold back as much water as is necessary to water the neighbouring lands."</ref> In the mid 19th century, [[biblical archaeology|biblical archaeologists]] proposed the Assyrian name '''Kalḫu''' (the Biblical ''Calah''), based on a description of the travels of [[Nimrod]] in [[Generations of Noah|Genesis 10]].<ref name=Ainsworth group="note"/>

Archaeological excavations at the site began in 1845, and were conducted at intervals between then and 1879, and then from 1949 onwards. Many important pieces were discovered, with most being moved to museums in Iraq and abroad. In 2013, the UK's [[Arts and Humanities Research Council]] funded the "Nimrud Project", directed by [[Eleanor Robson]], whose aims were to write the history of the city in ancient and modern times, to identify and record the dispersal history of artefacts from Nimrud,<ref>[http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/nimrud/index.html The Nimrud Project at Oracc.org]</ref> distributed amongst at least 76 museums worldwide (including 36 in the United States and 13 in the United Kingdom).<ref>[http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/nimrud/catalogues/museumsworldwide/index.html The Nimrud Project at Oracc.org: Museums worldwide holding material from Nimrud]; "Material from Nimrud has been dispersed into museum collections across the world. This page currently lists 76 museums holding Nimrud objects, with links to online information where available. The Nimrud Project welcomes additions and amendments to the list".</ref>

In 2015, the terrorist organization [[Islamic State]] announced its intention to destroy the site because of its "un-Islamic" Assyrian nature. In March 2015, the Iraqi government reported that [[Islamic State]] had used [[bulldozer]]s to destroy excavated remains of the city. Several videos released by ISIL showed the work in progress. In November 2016, Iraqi forces retook the site, and later visitors also confirmed that around 90% of the excavated portion of city had been completely destroyed. The ruins of Nimrud have remained guarded by Iraqi forces ever since.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-militants-nimrud-northern-iraq-destroy-3000-year-old-city-archaelogists-ancient-palace-islamic-a7512526.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220621/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-militants-nimrud-northern-iraq-destroy-3000-year-old-city-archaelogists-ancient-palace-islamic-a7512526.html |archive-date=2022-06-21 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Isis destroyed a 3,000-year-old city in minutes|date=2017-01-06|work=The Independent |access-date=2017-04-13 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Reconstruction work is in progress.