8 November 2018 –24
February 2019
#Ashurbanipal
King Ashurbanipal of
Assyria (r. 669–c. 631 BC) was the most powerful man on earth. He described
himself in inscriptions as ‘king of the world’, and his reign from the city of
Nineveh (now in northern Iraq) marked the high point of the Assyrian empire,
which stretched from the shores of the eastern Mediterranean to the mountains
of western Iran.
Ashurbanipal proved himself
worthy of protecting his people through displays of strength, such as hunting
lions. Like many rulers of the ancient world, he liked to boast about his
victories in battle and brutally crushed his enemies. However, this vast and
diverse empire was controlled through more than just brute force. Ashurbanipal
used his skills as a scholar, diplomat and strategist to become one of
Assyria’s greatest rulers.
Despite his long and
successful reign, Ashurbanipal’s death is shrouded in mystery. Shortly
afterwards, the Assyrian empire fell and the great city of Nineveh was
destroyed in 612 BC, its ruins lost to history until the 1840s. Their
rediscovery has allowed us to piece together a portrait of the powerful and
complex ruler that was Ashurbanipal.
This major exhibition tells
the story of Ashurbanipal through the British Museum’s unparalleled collection
of Assyrian treasures and rare loans. Step into Ashurbanipal’s world through
displays that evoke the splendour of his palace, with its spectacular
sculptures, sumptuous furnishings and exotic gardens. Marvel at the workings of
Ashurbanipal’s great library, the first in the world to be created with the
ambition of housing all knowledge under one roof. Come face to face with one of
history’s greatest forgotten kings.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/ashurbanipal.aspx
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