The Architecture of Late Assyrian Royal Palaces

Kertai, David

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198723189.001.0001

Cited by 42 publications

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“…The interactions between these two realms shaped the development of elite residential architecture in the subsequent centuries. Assyria's royal palaces indicate that its culture of hospitality was localized in the first internal room (Kertai 2015; Pucci 2008a, 168). One can simplify the difference as one between an architecture that externalized hospitality (the Syro-Anatolian city-states) and one that internalized it (the Assyrian Empire), resulting in either Syro-Anatolian or Assyrian type buildings.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Architectural Assemblages: The Northwest Complex at Zincirli

Kertai

2018

CAJ

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The Northwest Complex is one of several known Syro-Anatolian elite residences on the citadel of Zincirli. Syro-Anatolian elite residences such as the Northwest Complex are generally described with the anachronistic term Hilani. The related discourse has focussed on the architectural features that can define the Hilani type. More recently, discussions have focused anew on how these complexes functioned. This paper uses assemblage theory to move the discourse away from its focus on what architecture is to what it can do. It situates the Northwest Complex in an assemblage of Syro-Anatolian elite residences that partake in a shared culture of hospitality. It argues that the distinctive feature of these residences is their externalization of hospitality through the creation of elaborate in-between spaces in the form of external porticos.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Architectural Assemblages: The Northwest Complex at Zincirli

Kertai

2018

CAJ

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“…He stressed his activities that served to develop economic resources for the people: thus he organized the landscape, created new arable lands, exploited natural resources and built canals. Then in order to celebrate his royalty he erected his own palace, which served as architectural example for the following buildings, and overshadowed the previous one [11]. In fact each king took it upon himself to try to surpass his predecessor in the appropriateness, auspiciously perfect design, and grandeur of his residences [25, p. 347].…”

Section: The King and Buildingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Border between War and Peace. Power and Propaganda in Neo-Assyrian and Achaemenid Art

Castelluccia¹

2019

PTHA

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IntroductionThe Neo-Assyrian and the Achaemenid empires were the first supranational political entities which emerged in Western Asia. As typical imperial structures, their art, being one of the most tangible means of propaganda, strongly reflected their imperialist policies. Propaganda in ancient empires has been a popular topic for study [15; 26] and a wide range of specific analyses of both Assyrian and Achaemenid kingships have also been conducted [].The features of propaganda vary according to the historical, cultural and political context in which it was created. However, it is generally possible to identify two main subspecies: action propaganda -aimed at changing attitudes -and integration propaganda -aimed at reinforcement.Propaganda is of course not objective, and is used primarily to influence an audience and bolster a specific political agenda, often based on expansion policies and the submission of others. It uses specific codes and languages in order to produce emotional responses in the audience.Who was the audience of the propaganda of ancient Near Eastern kingdoms and empires? Firstly, it was aimed at the gods in order to show them the strength of the king and his achievements in ruling the state [17, pp. 2354-2355; 23, p. 259]. Next, it was directed at the political and social structures surrounding the king, i.e. the court, the nobility, the army, foreign visitors, and -last of all -at the common people.The society in such imperial entities was strongly hierarchical, with wealth, status, and power concentrated in the hands of the king, his court, and his officials [7]. Propaganda, however, despite being focused on strengthening ties with the audience, expressed merely the ideology of the ruling elite, for the purpose of justifying inequalities between societies and any particular actions carried out by the king [16, p. 300]. It followed two main directions: first it had to emphasize the legitimacy of the actions of the ruling elites; second, it also made defamatory remarks about adversaries. These actions were based on the concept of "centre versus periphery", which is a typical topos of imperial societies. Assyrian ideology was strongly influenced by this concept whereas Achaemenid dogma was less affected. The centre was seen as prosperous and civilized due to the position and actions of the king; it produced the resources necessary for existence; the periphery, on the other hand, was seen as uncivilized, chaotic, dark and unknown [16, p. 306; 17, pp. 2362-2363].

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“…Each king took it upon himself, in fact, to try to surpass his predecessor in the appropriateness, auspiciously perfect design, and grandeur of his residences (Roaf 2013, p. 347). Most kings also had several palaces in each capital city, with some intended for close family members such as the royal mother or crown prince, and provincial palaces (such as at Til-Barsip in Syria) for their residence while abroad (Kertai 2013). The palaces are referred to as 'objects of astonishment' (Sargon) and 'without rival' (Sennacherib) (Roaf 2013, p. 351) in royal building accounts.…”

Section: King As Creatormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The principal means through which the kings could accomplish this task was through the construction of a capital city, and at its symbolic center, the palace of his lordship. The Assyrian palaces at Ashur, Nimrud, Khorsabad, Nineveh, and in many other provincial cities served as symbolic microcosms, ordering the larger world (Winter ; Kertai ; Ataç ). The kings proclaim in their building inscriptions and foundation tablets that the palaces, temples, and even city walls were created and consecrated in auspicious times, chosen by and at the command of the gods.…”

Section: King As Creatormentioning

confidence: 99%

The Materiality of Assyrian Sacred Kingship

Thomason

2016

Religion Compass

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This contribution explores the material manifestations of Assyrian kingship and how they intersected with Assyrian ideology and religion. This state‐of‐the‐field discussion focuses on the Neo‐Assyrian period, 883–612 BCE. To legitimate their positions as the god Aššur's chosen delegate, the kings produced and consumed a vast array of monumental and portable goods, which served to represent the kings as beneficent creators of an orderly realm and protectors of the Assyrian world keeping chaos at bay.

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The Architecture of Late Assyrian Royal Palaces

Cited by 42 publications

References 0 publications

Architectural Assemblages: The Northwest Complex at Zincirli

Architectural Assemblages: The Northwest Complex at Zincirli

The Border between War and Peace. Power and Propaganda in Neo-Assyrian and Achaemenid Art

The Materiality of Assyrian Sacred Kingship

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