The ancient city of Ashur is situated on the Tigris River in northern Mesopotamia in a specific geoecological zone, on the border of irrigated and rain-fed agriculture. The history of the city dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. From the 14th to the 9th century BC, it was the first capital of the Assyrian Empire, a city-state, and a trading platform of international importance. It also served as the religious capital of the Assyrians, associated with the god Ashur. The city was destroyed by the Babylonians, but revived during the Parthian period in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
