At its peak, the Assyrian Empire (Neo-Assyrian to be exact) stretched from Mesopotamia (Iraq) all the way to Egypt, with the entire Asia Minor (Turkey) under their control.
A Brief Look at Ancient Assyrians And Their Culture
1. A Brief Look at Ancient Assyrians And Their
Culture
• Published on March 14, 2018
At its peak, the Assyrian Empire (Neo-‐Assyrian to be exact) stretched from
Mesopotamia (Iraq) all the way to Egypt, with the entire Asia Minor (Turkey)
under their control.
Image source: ancient.eu
However, Assyria didn’t grow into an empire overnight. It started out in Ashur,
which was also known as the city of Subartu to the Sumerians, found at the
northeast of Babylon. The Anatolia merchants who became rich allowed for
Ashur to gain prominence and power.
From a biblical perspective, Ashur was the grandson of Noah. Ashur founded
the city after the Great Flood, as well as other Assyrian cities. Other accounts
state that Ashur was a god, of whom the city was named after. Historians
believe that after Christianity entered Assyrian society, the origin of the name
was rewritten.
As a whole, the Assyrians were Semitic. The first language they used was
Akkadian before they changed to Aramaic. There were three major eras in the
2. Assyrian Empire. The Old Kingdom era started with the merchant city. The
Middle Empire was a turbulent time wherein Assyrians had gained power in the
east and were expanding their territory. The Late Empire, otherwise known as
the Neo-‐Assyrian Empire, was the empire its peak, all the way to its downfall.
Image source: pinterest.com
Assyrian civilization continued even after the fall of the Neo-‐Assyrian empire,
spreading out to Iran and Iraq. The Assyrian Empire though will always be
considered by many to be the greatest Mesopotamian empire for its
contributions to bureaucracy and military strategy, as well as the vastness of its
territory.
Sadigh Gallery in New York City specializes in the handling and selling of ancient
art, artifacts, and coins from all over the world. The family-‐owned business
handles each interaction with their customers with utmost priority. Subscribe to
this Facebook page for more on fascinating ancient artifacts.