What is Nineveh?
{{Infobox settlement |pushpin_map = Iraq |image_skyline = Nineveh map city walls & gates.JPG |image_alt = |image_caption = Simplified plan of ancient Nineveh showing city wall and location of gateways |pushpin_label_position =bottom |pushpin_mapsize =150 |pushpin_map_caption =Location in Iraq |coordinates = {{coord|36|21|34|N|43|09|10|E||display=inline,title}} |official_name = Nineveh}} [[Image:Nineveh Adad gate exterior entrance far2.JPG|thumb|A reconstruction of the Adad Gate]] '''Nineveh''' was an ancient [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] city on the eastern side of the [[Tigris]] River. It was the capital and a major city of the [[Assyrian empire]].<ref>{{Bibleverse|2|Kings|19:36|}}</ref> Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day city of [[Mosul]], [[Iraq]].<ref>Menko Vlaardingerbroek 2004. The founding of Nineveh and [[Babylon]] in Greek historiography. Iraq, vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assriologique Internationale, Part One, pp. 233-241.</ref> The ruins of Nineveh are surrounded by the remains of a massive stone and mudbrick wall dating from about 700&nbsp;BC. The wall was bout 12&nbsp;km in length. The stone retaining wall had projecting stone towers spaced about every {{convert|18|m|ft|0}}. The stone wall and towers were topped by three-step [[parapet]]s. The city wall had fifteen monumental gateways. They were checkpoints for people entering and exiting the city. They probably had [[barracks]] and [[armour]]ies. With the inner and outer doors shut, the gateways were fortresses. The gateways had passages and interior chambers lined with finely cut stone. A stairway led from one of the interior chambers to the top of the mudbrick wall. The city wall was [[destruction|destroyed]] by [[ISIS]] by February, 2015. The wall was destroyed during an effort to destroy historical buildings and monuments in the province by the jihadist rebel group.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://speisa.com/modules/articles/index.php/item.736/isis-