7. Khorsabad: The Short-lived Assyrian Capital built by Sargon II Mysteriously Abandoned After his Death.
In 721BC, the Assyrian Empire acquired a new King, Sargon II. The relationship between Sargon and his predecessor is unclear from the records- suggesting that Sargon may have usurped the throne. Either way, the new King wanted to make his mark. And what better way than found his own capital city? So, four years later in 717BC, work on Sargon’s new capital began close to the city of Nineveh in modern northern Iraq. The city was named Dur Sharrukin “The Fortress of Sargon” or Khorsabad.
Khorsabad was designed to outshining any of Assyria’s existing major cities- and glorify Sargon. This it did with unprecedented style. The new city was perfectly located in rich agricultural land, near ready sources of clay for bricks and mines for the alabaster that would adorn the city’s monuments. It was constructed in a perfect square of over a mile, based on the numerological value of Sargon’s name. Inside the heavily defended walls, Sargon constructed house, temples, and a four-story ziggurat. However, the jewel of Khorsabad was its elaborate royal palace. The private royal apartments alone covered an area of 300m square alone. The décor of the palace was unprecedented and some survive in the Louvre museum today.
Sargon proved himself an able ruler, adding to Assyria’s territory with his military conquests and improving the lives of his people by constructing public and educational amenities. In 706BC, he finally moved into Khorsabad. However, the following year, he died in battle. Almost immediately, despite the money and effort lavished on Khorsabad, Sargon’s successor, his son Sennacherib abandoned it, establishing his capital at Nineveh instead. Why this occurred is uncertain. However, the Assyrians considered it ill-omened for a ruler to die in battle. So, it could be that they regarded Sargon- and everything associated with him as accursed. Either way, the Assyrians never occupied Khorsabad again.