Discovery of Assyria. Earrings and other decorations of the Assyrian kings Nestorian church in Famagusta

For two thousand years, the ancient Assyro-Babylonian civilization lay buried and almost forgotten in the land of Mesopotamia, where Iraq is now. Only the reports of ancient Greek authors were known about it, and semi-legendary biblical texts about the country of Shinar, where the Tower of Babel was built, where the descendants of Noah survived the Great Flood, and where the mythical Garden of Eden was located.

The key to understanding this civilization was the discovery of Nineveh, one of the capitals of ancient Assyria mentioned in the Bible: "Assur came out of this land and built Nineveh ..." (Gen.10:11).

Before early XIX century, no one knew which of the huge Mesopotamian mounds-hills hides the ruins of Nineveh. The person who had every chance of finding her first was Claudius Rich, French by mother and British by life. It was he, not as an archaeologist, but as an amateur enthusiast, who in 1820 explored the environs of Mosul and drew up the first plan for excavations on Kuyunjik Hill, under which the remains of the legendary city really lay. Alas, in the same year, 33-year-old Rich was overtaken by an untimely death from cholera raging in the Tigris Valley.

Hills near Mosul. Fragment of a drawing by E. Flandin, 1843. Here they will find the palace of the Assyrian king Sargon II.

In 1836-39, Rich's wife published his book on Mesopotamia, as well as the explorer's diaries. The French orientalist Julius Mol became keenly interested in them, who convinced his government of the need to appoint a consul to Mosul with an order to search for and collect antiquities. The choice fell on Paul-Emil Bott A, naturalist, collector and traveler, Italian by birth, French in spirit, but not an archaeologist at all.

Charles de Chammartin. Portrait of Paul-Emile Botta, 1840. Paris, Louvre

After meeting Mole, Botta got excited about the idea of ​​finding Nineveh. He arrived in Mosul in 1842 and soon organized excavations on Kuyunjik Hill. A month of hard work passed, then two, then three, and still there was no result ... And when patience seemed to come to an end, and faith in the discovery was undermined, a peasant from the village of Khorsabad, 20 kilometers north of Mosul, came to Botta, and advised the "Frank", if he was so interested in fragments with drawings, to dig in Khorsabad - there are thousands of such stones. Botta was distrustful of his words, but nevertheless sent two workers to Khorsabad, and they almost immediately stumbled upon an ancient wall lined with sculptural slabs...

Sculptural relief from Khorsabad, c. 710 BC. Louvre, Paris

Botta curtailed all work on Kuyunjik and transferred the excavations to Khorsabad. And then in front of him began to grow, freed from the earth, the walls and columns of the large royal palace. The entrance to it was guarded by huge winged monsters with the bodies of bulls and human heads, and this was the first meeting of Europeans with shedu (lamassu) - mythical creatures, which became a symbol of ancient Assyria. Botta immediately telegraphed to Paris about the discovery of fabulous Nineveh.

Gabriel Tranchard. Excavations of the royal palace in Khorsabad, 1853

The Tranchar photo is one of the oldest archaeological photographs taken at the dawn of photography. At the time of the beginning of Bott's excavations, such a picture was still impossible, and only a decade later the technique was ready for it. And in 1843, the French government sent a skilled draftsman, Eugene Flandin, to Bott. Thanks to him, Bott's finds were documented, and this was often the only thing left of them, since some of them collapsed in the air, while others died during transportation.

The fact that Botta found Nineveh was also believed by other scientists who saw the results of the excavations. Only later, when they learned to read cuneiform, did it become clear that under the hill near Khorsabad, Botta discovered not Nineveh, but the city and palace of Dur-Sharrukin (literally "Sargon's Fortress"). This city was built by the Assyrian king Sargon II at the end of the 8th century BC and moved here the capital of his state from the former capital of Kalah.

Excavations of Dur-Sharrukin, After a drawing by Eugene Flandin, 1863

In 1844, a cargo of 2,000 sculptures and reliefs was sent on rafts down the Tigris to be transported by sea to France. However, due to inept loading, many rafts capsized and a significant part of the results of the two-year excavations drowned in the river. Only the next batch reached the goal without loss, and a few months later the fruits of Botta's labors flaunted in the halls of the Louvre, forming the basis of the Assyrian collection of the museum. A year later, France met Botta as a hero-discoverer.

Assyrian Hall of the Louvre. Wall reliefs and a fragment of the gate of the palace of Sargon II, VIII century. BC. Louvre, Paris

The motif of a winged animal with a human head was widespread in Assyria: the figures of "man-oxen" or "man-lions" were erected at all significant state buildings and entrances to cities. The statues of formidable and arrogant shedu with human eyes, standing guard at the gates of the palace of Sargon II, had a magical protective function. And the five legs of the winged monster created the illusion of movement, allowing you to see him motionless in front, and walking from the side - depending on the position of the viewer.

Shedu head, 8th century BC. Louvre, Paris

The height of some shedu reached 6 meters, and the weight was 40 tons. To transport such colossus, Botta sawed the statues into pieces, and in France they were again collected and restored.

I split my head. After a drawing by Eugene Flandin, 1863

Based on the results of the excavations, Felix Thoma, Flandin's successor, created plan for the restoration of the main gate of the palace of Sargon II

I wanted to imagine what this gate could look like, and I made a photo reconstruction based on Tom's drawing from pictures of the Louvre exhibits:

The central arch of the gate of Sargon II. Photo-reconstruction option

The main gate of the palace of Sargon II. Photo-reconstruction option (clickable)

In addition to the shedu, the gate towers had figures of the legendary king Gilgamesh, the hero of numerous myths, whom the Assyrians revered as a demigod. Gilgamesh holds a defeated lion in his hands: the motif of taming the beast symbolized divine and royal power for the Assyrians.

Gilgamesh with a tamed lion. Statue at the gate of the palace of Sargon II, 8th century. BC. Louvre, Paris

Sargon II, ruled Assyria from 721 to 705 BC and was a successful conqueror. He conquered the kingdom of Urartu in the north and Babylonia in the south, subjugated Syria and the kingdom of Israel in the east, reached the borders of Egypt, having received tribute from the pharaoh. Returning from Babylon with huge booty, Sargon II ordered the construction of a new capital, and it became Dur-Sharrukin, erected according to the plan of the king on a specially poured platform. But in 705 BC. Sargon died unexpectedly in one of the military campaigns and his son Sennacherib ascended the Assyrian throne (ruled from 705 to 680 BC)

Sargon II (right) and his son Sennacherib. Relief from Dur-Sharrukin, 8th century. BC. Louvre, Paris

Sennacherib was distinguished by extraordinary cruelty and, in anger, performed semi-insane acts. After the suppression of the rebellion in Babylon, he killed thousands of inhabitants, took others into captivity, then ordered to raze the city to the ground, burned the ruins, and then flooded them, destroying the river dam. He renounced Sargon II, declaring himself a descendant of Gilgamesh, and left Dur-Sharrukin built by his father. He moved the capital of the state to Nineveh, which had previously been an ordinary provincial city.

But researchers will find out all this later, and in 1845 Ninenvia was still waiting for its discoverer. He became another keen enthusiast who fell in love with the East, and, leaving the dusty job of a London clerk, arrived in Mosul with an ardent desire to start excavations here. It was Austin Henry Layard, a 28-year-old Englishman, born in Paris, raised in Italy, and from his youth loved to travel.

George Wats. Portrait of Austin Layard, c.1852. National Portrait Gallery, London

In 1845, having received 60 pounds from the British consul, Layard with six workers began excavating a hill near the village of Nimrud and immediately stumbled upon the wall of the palace, which, judging by the decoration, was royal. Then huge shedu appeared from the ground, which caused quite a stir among the locals.

The Bedouin sheikh, who came to the excavation, said the following words: “For many years I have been living in this country. My father and my father’s father pitched their tents here before me, but they had never heard of these idols. And look! which lies many days' journey from here, and goes straight to the right place He takes a stick and draws a line: "Here," he says, "is the palace, and there is the gate," and he shows us that which all life lay under our feet, and we did not even suspect it. Amazing! Incredible! How did you know about it - from books? With the help of magic or did your prophets help you? Answer me, oh bey, reveal to me the secret of wisdom! "

With great difficulty, Layard loaded the found shedu onto wagons entirely, without sawing, and with the help of the Bedouins, led by the sheikh, delivered them to the banks of the Tigris. From there they went to London, first by river and then by sea. Now these sculptures are exhibited in the British Museum.

Preparing for transportation. Drawing from O. Layard's book "Monuments of Nineveh", 1849

The results of Layard's excavations on the Nimrud hill exceeded all expectations and even eclipsed Bott's success in Khorsabad by the quality and expressiveness of the found reliefs, the richness of the decoration of the palace. Layard thought he had found Nineveh, but it turned out that he had made the same mistake as his French friend Botta. In fact, the biblical Kalakh (Kalhu), the capital of King Ashurnasirpal II (reigned in 884-859 BC), was discovered in Nimrud, and the excavated palace also belonged to him. Kalah was the capital of Assyria until the time when Sargon II raised Dur-Sharrukin.

Hunting for lions. Relief from the palace at Nimrud, 865-860. BC. Pergamon Museum, Berlin

This relief, exceptional in imagery, was originally painted. Ashurnasirpal stands on a chariot and aims at a lion. The severity of the style, asceticism and severity of the manner of the ancient nameless master, who actually did not miss a single detail in the equipment and actions of the king, are impressive. The beast and horses are captured very realistically, with precisely noticed plasticity of movements. In the relief, especially in the figure of a wounded lion, ornamental and naturalistic techniques are surprisingly combined within the image of one figure.

Winged guardian genius. Relief from the palace at Nimrud, 875-850. BC. Pergamon Museum, Berlin

Ashurnasirpal II. Fragment of painting from the palace in Nimrud, 875-850. BC. British Museum, London

But Ashurnasirpal II was also known for things that were very far from art. Here is what Isaac Asimov writes about this king in his book "The Near East": "To him, more than any other Assyrian, this nation owes its reputation in history ... He took the natural tendency of the assaulting armies to cruelty and raised it to a deliberate policy of terror , almost unbelievable for any century except the XX ... When the army of Ashurnasirpal II captured the city, death from torture became a common occurrence. Heads were chopped off in a multitude, pyramids were made of them. He made the name of the Assyrians hated "among all the surrounding peoples.

Assyrian wars crack down on prisoners. Relief from the palace in Nineveh. British Museum, London

These details of the history of Assyria were not yet known in 1847. Then Layard returned to England and published a book about his excavations at Nimrud, which made him famous. However, the active nature of Layard demanded more, and in 1849 he decided to go to Mosul again. This time, he chose Kuyunjik Hill for excavations, the same one that Botta had been unsuccessfully excavating for a year. This seemingly absurd decision suggests that Layard was not just the lucky upstart that many professional archaeologists thought he was: he learned from his previous excavations, learned to understand the nature of the area and use the most insignificant data to make important generalizations. Deciding to purposefully dig deep into the hill, he discovered at a depth of 20 meters the remains of the palace of King Sennacherib, the son of Sargon II. This was the real Nineveh, the last and most magnificent capital of the Assyrian Empire.

Gate of god Nergal, Nineveh, Iraq. Reconstruction of the 20th century, photo from the guide.
This is how the monument looked before the destruction caused by ISIS in 2015.

Sennacherib invested in the construction of Nineveh all his frantic energy and all the untold riches plundered during military campaigns. Thousands of people from the conquered countries, forcibly relocated to Assyria, worked on the construction. Nineveh was a city of stunning luxury, magnificent palaces, the richest temples and horrific lawlessness. For the slightest fault, cruel punishment followed, for example, death awaited the owner of the house for non-observance of the straight line of facades when building up the street. The main street of Nineveh, filled with asphalt, had a width of 26 meters - more than St. Petersburg's Nevsky Prospekt.

The royal palace, discovered by Layard, occupied an area of ​​​​about three hectares and had, in addition to rooms for servants, 80 chambers and a front hall; Layard excavated 9 rooms. The entrances were guarded by numerous winged shedu. The walls of the palace premises were decorated with countless stone slabs with texts and alabaster reliefs. The Pergamon Museum in Berlin has a room that recreates the interior of the royal palace. Here, characteristic elements found in different places are brought together: winged lions at the entrance, a gilded ceiling, blood-red walls with stone reliefs and an ornamental ribbon. In order to imagine this interior more clearly, I removed the exhibits exhibited in the hall from the photographs and placed pictures of reliefs from Nineveh on the walls.

Assyrian palace interior. Photo reconstruction based on a photograph from the Pergamon Museum, Berlin.

The grandson of Sennacherib Ashurbanipal (668-626 BC) partially renovated and rebuilt his grandfather's palace. Under him, the Assyrian state reached the peak of its power. But if the reliefs of Sinnacherib are mainly devoted to the war, then the images from the time of Ashurbanipal often represent scenes royal hunting, and these images are considered the pinnacle of the Assyrian art of stone carving.

Wounded lioness, relief from Ashurbanipal's palace, c. 640 BC British Museum, London

The state of the wounded animal is conveyed so vividly that one can literally feel its dying roar, escaping from its bared mouth. Arrows pierced the body of the lioness, her spine was broken, but, dragging her paralyzed hind legs, she lifted her muzzle with the last effort and froze in a death jerk. This relief in terms of depth of expression can be safely placed next to the best works world art. In the depiction of wild animals, their movements and reactions, Assyrian artists found features of high realism, which, oddly enough, remained inaccessible to them when creating human images.

Lion Hunt, relief from Ashurbanipal's palace, c. 640 BC British Museum, London

Another Assyrian king, another palace, beautiful but similar reliefs, you might say. And you will be partly right. Nineveh did not become famous for this palace, and Ashurbanipal did not go down in history with his conquests or hunting. Winged bulls and limestone friezes, impressive as they are, would not by themselves give an insight into the life of the people of that time. The key to history was the printed word. In one of the rooms of Ashurbanipal's palace, Layard discovered a scattering of clay tablets covering the floor in a thick layer; all of them were covered with unusual writing. Layard did not attach much importance to them, but collected them and sent them to London. Three years later, another similar room with tablets was found by Ormuz Rassam, a native Assyrian who led the excavations after Layard left Iraq. These tablets were also sent to the British Museum. It was the largest library ancient world, which Ashurbanipal collected during the decades of his reign.

Epic of Gilgamesh, a tablet from the palace of Ashurbanipal, 7th century BC. British Museum, London

The found library contained knowledge about the entire Assyro-Babylonian culture, and not only about it, but also about the more ancient culture of the Sumerians. Ashurbanipal, who prided himself on being the only literate person among the Assyrian rulers, ordered that tablets with letters be collected throughout the country. In one of the letters, he ordered his official: “Find and deliver the precious tablets, copies of which are not in Assyria, to me. I wrote to the chief priest and governor of Borsippa ... so that no one would refuse to provide them to you. or a ritual text suitable for a palace, find it, take it and send it here." In addition, scientists and a whole group of scribes worked for Ashurbanipal, who copied all the texts in several copies, including ancient tablets, the language of which the Assyrians no longer understood. In this way, it was possible to create a library in which all the knowledge of their time was presented: it contained legends and prayers, stories of conquests and accomplishments, treaties and laws, scientific treatises and astrological forecasts, medical texts, textbooks, school manuals, dictionaries...

One of the volumes of the Sumerian-Akkadian dictionary, I millennium BC. Louvre, Paris.
The Assyrians and Babylonians spoke Akkadian, but the older Sumerian remained the language of religion, administration, and learning.

But who could read all these cuneiform records? I must say that they began to fight over the decipherment of cuneiform long before the start of archaeological excavations in Mesopotamia. Persian cuneiform inscriptions (and cuneiform was used in many Asian countries, including Persia) have been known since the 17th century. The first step in deciphering them in 1802 was made by the German Georg Grotefend, an assistant to a school teacher, and he acted not at all from scientific motives, but on a dare, after a fun feast. He picked up the only combination of the names of the Persian kings that agreed with the inscriptions, and thus determined almost half of the letters of the Persian cuneiform alphabet. The second (and main) step was taken four decades later by the young Englishman Henry Rawlinson, who by 1847 had deciphered the entire ancient Persian writing system.

Henry Phillips. Portrait of Henry Rawlinson, 1850. British Museum, London

In 1835, Major Rawlinson was assigned to Persia to train the Shah's military. He lived twenty miles from the famous Behistun Rock, where, at a height of about 100 meters above the ground, the Persian king Darius I ordered reliefs and inscriptions in three languages: Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian, written in three different cuneiform systems, to be carved in his honor. Many saw these sculptures and inscriptions from below, but no one knew the details of the languages ​​in which they were made. Rawlinson was extremely fascinated by the problem of reading cuneiform and he decided to copy the Behistun inscription, which was much longer than any previously known.

Behistun Rock, Iran. Photo - Wikipedia

At the risk of his life, Rawlins climbed a rock over and over again and sketched an old cuneiform text. By 1837, he had already copied the entire ancient Persian part, but he could not get to the Akkadian, carved on the rock above all. Only a few years later, Rawlinson managed to return to this place with climbing equipment, and then he finally copied the remaining 112 lines, descending on ropes from the top of the cliff.

When the texts of the trilingual inscription were published, a great international effort began to translate them. A kind of "community" of codebreakers included the Dane Rusk, the Frenchman Burnouf, the Germans Behr and Oppert, the Irishman Hinks, and of course Rawlinson himself. In the early 1850s, it became clear to researchers that Akkadian cuneiform could be read. However, the public, and many scientists, were completely confused: it turned out that the Akkadian script was surprisingly multivariate - the same cuneiform sign was either a letter, or a syllable, or a word, and it could mean different syllables and even completely different words. How can one trust the translation under such conditions?

Akkadian cuneiform. Laws of King Hammurabi, c. 1750 BC Louvre, Paris

Then the London Asiatic Society took an unusual step. A copy of a hitherto unknown Assyrian cuneiform text was sent in a sealed envelope to the four major experts in the field of cuneiform writing with a request to decipher it and send it back sealed. At the same time, none of the four was notified that the same copies were sent to three others. Some time later, a special commission received envelopes with translations by Rawlinson, Talbot, Hinks, and Oppert. And what had recently seemed incredible became reality in 1857: all four translations turned out to be basically identical. Ashurbanipal's library and other Assyrian-Babylonian cuneiform texts could be read correctly. Since then, 1857 has been considered the date of the emergence of Assyrology - a science that studies the culture and history of ancient civilizations that used cuneiform writing - Assyria, Babylonia, Sumer, Urartu ...

Passage to the Assyrian Hall. Louvre, Paris.

This is how this "journey of amateurs" ended victoriously: in just 15 years, which had passed from the beginning of the first excavations to the decipherment of cuneiform, modern world opened completely new pages of history and approached the understanding of the most ancient roots of human culture. You can scold the unprofessionalism of the first diggers, be surprised at their obvious mistakes, be horrified by the barbaric methods of excavation, but Botta, Layard, Rawlinson and their associates, despite all the difficulties, were the first to do this huge work, often on sheer enthusiasm, thanks only to their obsession with the idea, perseverance and energy . Bow to them.

Photos from the Louvre and the Pergamon Museum are mine, the rest are taken from the website of the British Museum and from Wikipedia

More about Assyria and its discovery:

Western Asia is an amazing region, if only because people of the Assyrian people live here, who once belonged to the great state of Assyria. Now they have settled all over the planet, but they are still considered one of the most mysterious, ancient and amazing peoples of the world.

Where do they live (Territory)

Most of the Assyrians live in Iraq, the smallest number is in Georgia and Ukraine. There are many Assyrians in the USA and Syria, as well as Sweden. About 11,000 people live in Russia. The reason for the mass resettlement of people was the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. And even today, the Assyrians have to hide, because ISIS (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) is a threat to them. It is worth noting that the mass resettlement of the people began in the last century.

Story

Christianity helped the Assyrians unite. The formation of the people took place among Muslims, Jews and Zoroastrians. At different times, the Assyrians were influenced by Catholics, which led to the emergence of a new branch - Syro-Catholicism, the Kurds who entered the war with the Assyrians, as well as the Turks. They constantly had to experience oppression and withstand the attacks of the enemy. All this led to a significant decrease in the population. In the 20th century, there were about a million people who called themselves Assyrians, most of them were subjects of the Ottomans.
In the First World genocide continued, many men were sent to war.
The Ottomans destroyed even the elite, after which they began the mass deportation of women and children. The persecution also extended to the elderly, the Muslim Ottomans did not spare people on the road, so some simply could not survive during the deportation.
In Iran, part of the Assyrians tried to fight off the Kurdish population and the Persians. Presence saved Russian troops, but in 1918 the Russians left the territory, after which the destruction of the Assyrians began, a significant part died from diseases. Some were able to take refuge in the territories controlled by Britain. The confiscation of land by the British from the Arab and Kurdish population caused discontent, so the Assyrians were again under attack. As a result, most of them settled in Iraq, the United States of America and Syria.

culture

The contribution of the Assyrians to world culture dates back to ancient times. Anyone who wanted to be called literate needed to know the Babylonian, Sumerian and Assyrian languages, as well as to speak various dialects (for example, business Babylonian). Workers in the office were obliged to learn the Akkadian language, Aramaic was also required.
The writing technique was special and depended on the material: papyrus, leather, clay. This was the reason for the emergence of unique writing and literature, which has practically not survived to this day. The most famous literary work, written in the 5th century BC, is the story of Ahikar, which tells about the kings Sinnacherib and Esarhaddon. It is known, however, that the story has undergone many changes, so its exact version remains a mystery. At the same time, it serves as good material for understanding the life of the royal people of that time.
The Assyrians did not develop science particularly. However, they compiled recipes, useful reference books, simple chemical formulas, astrological observations, and medical treatises. The Assyrians practiced jurisprudence, wrote compositions in Babylonian. The problem of studying scientific writings lies in mixing them with the witchcraft teachings that the priests wrote. There are also really interesting moments: descriptions of military equipment, the creation of engineering structures, the construction of fortresses.
The Assyrians reached great heights in architecture. Raw brick remained the main material, and stone was used for cladding. It was the Assyrians who used ziggurats - step-type towers. Buildings were decorated with relief and painting, which were carved on slabs. Artists often depicted hunters and animals. The images praised the kings, the army, shamed the enemies. Modern Assyrians carefully preserve and honor the culture of their ancestors and create their own on its basis. Of the well-known Assyrian modern works, one can note the "Destroyer of Thorns" - a collection of legends, stories and legends.

Folklore

The folklore of the Assyrians is interesting in the epic Katyn Gabbara. It is fully translated into Russian and partially published in English.
The first volume of the epic tells about the king of Tuma, who is faced with the she-devil Shidda (also Lilith), who attacked the population. She enslaves women and men, and eats children. The king has to summon warriors to summon their courage and fight the monster. But few of the men who came to the call of the king want to fight. Only the brave Katyn dared to fight Lilith.
In the second volume, there is a story about the exploits of Katyn, which serves as a kind of background for the warrior. He has to face a mysterious and incredibly strong woman. To defeat her, you need to lift the curls, with which the brave Katyne copes with ease. The second test is the battle with 2 bulls attacking the inhabitants of a small village. And Katyna copes with them easily. Then he goes to the kingdom of Shidda (Lilith). Suddenly, a guide appears to him, telling about the dangers - this is another test that tests the stamina of the young man's mind. As soon as he enters the cave closed by the marble door, evil spirits plaintively they begin to ask to drive the guide away, calling him an evil sorcerer. Katyne turns out to be persistent and ignores their voices, and then moves the "crown" stone that belonged to Shidda.
This concludes the second volume, and the reader returns to the great battle. The hero manages to defeat Shidda, but at the end of the work, the authors leave a mysterious message that hints that everything read is an allegory for the struggle between good and evil, which never ends.

Life

They try to bring up children brave and honest. It is honesty that counts best quality in a person. Truth, as the Assyrians themselves say, is the key to courage. To gossip, to remain frivolous, to talk in vain - all these are negative phenomena. In Assyrian society, only a generous, respectful and courageous person can gain authority. In families, every child is watched closely and their behavior is always controlled.
The guest is happiness and joy. The custom of hospitality prescribes to treat the guest as a messenger from heaven. It is important for the guest to observe a certain etiquette, which prescribes not to linger for a long time, not to drink a lot, and not to ask unnecessary questions. It is also not customary to visit constantly, you need to do this at least every other day.
In an interesting way, there was an attitude towards a woman. If a man worked and always acted as the head of the family, then the woman was tasked with raising children. Work for her, in principle, was considered a punishment. A woman will be unhappy if she has to work. She could leave the house under the supervision of an elderly woman or one of her male relatives. Now Assyrian girls are not forbidden to reveal their faces.

Traditions

Traditions have evolved over many centuries, so almost everyone looks quite unusual.

Wedding

Wedding customs are specific: mountain dwellers offer a girl a ring for matchmaking, which she can put on or give as a sign of refusal. It is customary for the Plains Assyrians to kidnap the bride. For the girl, it is necessary to pay the ransom, which indicates a possessive attitude. If before marriage a woman belongs to her father, then after she is rightfully considered property new family. Before the organization wedding celebration newlyweds turn to an astrologer who suggests the most successful day for legalizing the marriage. A feast is arranged in the groom's house, after which the young people must spend three days in the same room. Then it's time to go to the wife's house, where the newlyweds will live together. Not so long ago, it was necessary for a woman to honor her husband's parents and obey them unquestioningly, otherwise she could expect a divorce, which was equated with disgrace. Now the customs have become a little different, so the Assyrians are no longer looking for a couple only among the representatives of their people.

Holidays

New Year celebrated by the Assyrians on April 1 and is called Khab-Nissan. It was associated with the flood of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The spill meant an increase in soil fertility and the beginning of the harvest season. Instead of a Christmas tree, the Assyrians used a tree called sacred. To this day, drawings have been preserved in which fruits similar to apples are visible.
The Assyrians celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin, during which all people who have to live on the street are invited. Each guest is treated and watered, even if it is a complete stranger to anyone.

Religion

Conventionally, the Assyrians can be divided into representatives:

• Assyrian Church of the East;
• Chaldean Catholic Church;
• Orthodox.

All branches are Christian. The Chaldean Church is formed from priests studying at the Baghdad Patriarchal Seminary. Services are held in Syriac. The Assyrian Church of the East also gravitates towards East Syriac rites and is considered one of the most ancient Eastern churches. Now both churches have good relations with each other and are cooperating within the framework of the "patriarchal" statement.

Language

Assyrian is classified as a New Aramaic language. Linguists consider New Aramaic to be part of Syriac, which has become part of the dialect. The use of the language began from the 5th century BC. The influence of the Akkadian language can be traced in the vocabulary.

Living in different places/countries

Assyrians are the third largest people in Armenia. They arrived in the country after the Russian-Persian war, gradually founding three villages. Now the Armenian Assyrians are engaged in gardening, growing grapes and cultivating crops. Many of them have become intellectuals, occupy the posts of officials. Difficulties in relations with Armenians are not observed - the growth of mixed marriages is great. The population is not prohibited from learning Assyrian and teaching it in rural schools.
There are about 2500 Assyrians in Georgia. They mostly live in major cities They know Georgian and Russian languages. They speak Assyrian fluently and have a special dialect of New Aramaic. The government promotes the development and integration of the population with Georgians, and gives freedom of religion. Assyrians came to Russia in 1920. As a result of the First World War, more than 100 thousand people fled, hiding in the Soviet Union. Then many accepted Orthodoxy, which was perceived negatively by the Assyrians themselves. The situation for them was aggravated by mass deportation to Siberia and Transcaucasia. Now there is a partial assimilation of the Assyrians - a significant part of them do not know their native language and culture. Nevertheless, there is an Assyrian church in Moscow where services are held.

dwelling

The most interesting dwellings are the ancient houses of the Assyrians. The nobility could afford houses with several rooms. The decoration of the premises was rich, and the wealth consisted in a large number of mats, colored fabrics and carpets. Furniture was decorated with metal plates, inlaid with ivory and precious stones. The windows in the houses were located under the roof and were square. They used clay or wooden frames. The walls were plastered with lime. In the hot season, they were watered with water and, in the process of evaporation, the room was thus cooled.
Ordinary citizens could not afford a lot of furniture, especially inlaid with expensive ivory items. At most, everyone could have several stools or chairs, and a mat was used as a sleeping place. Husband and wife slept on beds, and guests and children slept on bedding.
The stove was built in the yard, and jugs with wine and separately with water were kept there. Water was used for washing and drinking. A cauldron was kept next to the stove, in which water was boiled.
Food was taken at the table: the rich had large tables, while ordinary people could afford small tables with short legs. Women and men were kept separate in the houses and only during the meal they sat down at the common table.
Amulets in the form of scary creatures were used to protect against the evil eye or evil spirits. On each amulet, a conspiracy was carved that drove away spirits. Some amulets were hung over doors, others were buried under the threshold. The ancient Assyrians had their own cult of gods, patronizing the owners of the house. Their figurines were also placed in different places of the rooms. Each of them was periodically given food as a sign of sacrifice.

Cloth

Wealthy Assyrians wore dresses and tunic shirts. The shirt was decorated with fringes, sometimes purple woolen fabric was used. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces served as common decorations. The nobility did not skimp on expensive accessories, acquiring the largest possible bracelets made of precious metals. At the same time, bronze was held in high esteem. Dresses were girdled with a wide belt.

1. The clothes of artisans, warriors and farmers were an order of magnitude more modest. This was manifested primarily in a tunic that reached only to the knees.
2. ABOUT women's outfits little is known - most of the information was destroyed during the wars and deportations. Data have come down to us that slaves were forbidden to wear veils that hid their faces.
3. Some of the warriors wore special clothes. Representatives of the light detachments put on armor with metal plates that protected the chest. They wore a tunic underneath. The headdress was a helmet, similar to a helmet, with a veil framing the chin. Almost all men wore beards and curled their hair. The absence of a beard indicated belonging to the eunuchs.
4. The clothes of the Assyrian king were distinguished by special luxury. The top dress was embroidered with red threads, executed mainly in dark blue. The sleeves are short, and the waist is pulled together with a wide belt trimmed with fringe. Each brush was a glass beads. From above, the king wore an epancha, vaguely similar to a vest, but very long. It was also embroidered with patterns and richly decorated. On his head he wore a tiara with a wide ribbon embroidered with gold threads.

The cult of jewelry was developed among the Assyrians unusually strongly. Earrings, bracelets, rings depicted the symbolism of the gods. Often bracelets were fastened above the elbows, sometimes on the forearms. Along with jewelry, amulets were worn, which also displayed divine emblems.

Food

Modern Assyrians have preserved the ancient customs of cooking. Poultry and animal meat was in abundance due to developed cattle breeding, cheeses became widespread among fermented milk products. Assyrian dishes are considered one of the most difficult to prepare, especially in terms of rolling out kyadas - multi-layered dough.
Assyrian soups usually have an egg base. The meat is served finely chopped and mixed with other ingredients. At the same time, kebabs and chicken dishes served in Arab countries have not lost their popularity. Assyrians eat lavash, cereals, legumes. Dishes are cooked in the hearth and earthenware, which greatly affects their taste.
Vegetables and fruits are consumed raw, sometimes pickled, dried and fermented. They must be added to soups, main dishes. In ancient times, the Assyrians noticed that vegetables contribute to better digestion of meat. As a rule, vegetables are flavored with spices: basil, mint, cilantro, black pepper. Mertokha is made from melted butter and flour - a mixture that is spread on pita bread. Cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom are added to it, getting a confectionery product.
Shirva is the most popular soup in Assyrian cuisine. Onion, greens, egg, red pepper are added to it, and some of the ingredients are pre-fried. Of the sweets, khasyda, milk pudding ryzza, and jajik gained great love.
We can definitely say that Assyrian cuisine is very diverse, but it is quite difficult to master it because of the variety of nuances of the recipe, which must be observed. The poor ancient Assyrians ate bread, onions, garlic and vegetables. The most satisfying dishes for them were flour, fish. Meat could only be afforded for the holidays. Slaves could eat fish exclusively in dried form, they ate barley bread, seizing onions or garlic.
The nobility did not deny themselves luxurious food, enjoyed meat, washed down every dish with wine. Of the exotic, locusts were preferred, and there were always a lot of sweet dates from Babylon on the table.
Even though the Assyrians are not an integral ethnic group today, they still managed to become a people that has preserved an ancient culture. This helps them not to assimilate, but to integrate into other peoples, creating marriages on equal rights similar to relations with states different countries.

Video

Now about their symbolism. Well, where are the noviops without stolen symbols.

How familiar this all is in more well-known examples!

Once again, let me remind you about the words "Syrian", "Syrians" found in the text. Assyrians are meant, not Syrian Arabs.

So, my translation of the article Hannah Hayjar (Hajjar) from an Assyrian resource.

Today I was reading a post about the Aramaic flag which claims that the flame was added to the flag in the 80s and stands for "Holy Spirit".

If you compare the image of the "Aramaic" flag with the carving on the stone from Tell Halaf depicting Gilgamesh and Enkidu carrying the winged sun disk, you will notice that there is no flame. As well as on the early "Aramaic" flag, designed in the 70s, which, however, was improved by adding a "flame". But in Syrian culture, the Holy Spirit was never represented as a flame, but only as a dove. You can see the dove in Syrian religious paintings, clergy robes, altar decorations, carvings in churches.

So where did the "flame" come from?

It's funny, but the "flame" on the Aramaic flag is a borrowed Assyrian symbol of "Nadi Sankharib al-Riyadi" (Athletic Club named after King Sannacherib), a sports society in Beirut (Lebanon), founded in 1936 (or, according to other sources, 50 years previously).
This Assyrian symbol with the disk of Ashura and the "flame" (in the center) was very popular among the Assyrian Suroyos * in Lebanon and later, in the 80s, the "Aramaeans" wanted to cash in on its popularity and added it to their flag.

See photo below for explanation.

Another "Aramaic" misunderstanding is four five-pointed stars in a rectangle at the base of the tail of the winged disk. However, the rectangle is not part of the winged disc, but the top of the "stool" on which the winged disc "sits" or is "supported". Take a look at the carving in the photo below. Initially, there were two legs of a "stool" held by two horned creatures. In addition, initially there were not five-pointed stars in the rectangle, but four Assyrian flowers.

By the way, the story of Gilgamesh was popular among many peoples, including the Sumerians, Assyrians, Hittites, but not among the ancient Arameans **. On the site of Tel Khalaf (ancient Guzan) there was a Hittite city, where, immediately after the fall of the Hittite Empire, the ancient Aramaeans migrated, and later it became part of the Assyrian Empire. The monuments found at Tel Halaf are in the neo-Hittite style and some of them have been influenced by Assyrian art.

Notes:
* Assyrian Suroyos, otherwise the Western Syrians are Assyrians, belonging predominantly to the Syro-Orthodox (Jacobite, non-Chalcedonian) Church. Among them, the so-called "Aramaic" became widespread, which appeared not without the participation of some Jacobite church hierarchs.
** as you understand, the flame in this case is a purely sporting symbolism, which the noviops-"Arameans" gave their perverse interpretation.
** * Arameans- in ancient times, nomadic Semitic tribes that lived on the territory of Syria and Iraq. This name was taken by the Noviops, who appeared in the 20th century among the Assyrians.

Illustrations:

Gilgamesh with two bull-men holding a winged disk.

"Fann Ashuri" is an inscription in Arabic in a book that tells about the winged disk.

"Assur" is an inscription describing the tablets and the winged disc in Andre Parrot, 1961.

A 2004 article in The Guardian about Gilgamesh, where a carved image of a winged disk with two bull-men is placed as an illustration. Named "Assyrian" in the article.

Another Assyrian winged disk with two bull-men, similar to the disk from Tell Khalaf. Ankara Museum. Türkiye.

A winged disc guarded by two human scorpions. From Dar Sharrukin (Khorsabad), the capital of the Assyrian king Sargon II. Sketch by Faucher Gudin. The scorpion man is also mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh, while the winged disc used by the Aramaeans is taken from the bas-relief dedicated to Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Thus both images are connected.

Assyrian symbol of "Sanharib al-Riyadi" (athletic club named after King Sanherib) in Beirut, 1936, with a flame.

Various Aramaic eagles without flame. On one solar disk, a burning torch was replaced by a Lebanese cedar. Just like the logo of the Assyrian Association in Lebanon, see the picture below.

A modern Aramaic flag with a flame, which they borrowed from Assyrian symbolism.

I also came across another image of the winged disk of Sanherib, which was the emblem of the Nadi Al-Rafidain Al-Riyadi (Mesopotamian [Beth-Nahrain] Athletic Club), located in Qamishlia, Syria, whose members belonged to the Siro - Orthodox Church. Just like Nadi Sankharib al-Riyadi in Lebanon, it was also a football club. Note the flame and torch in the center of their emblem, see below.

As you can see, the image of the flame was used among the Assyrians, adherents of the Syro-Orthodox Church in Lebanon and Syria, long before the so-called "Arameans" designed their flag.

Assyrian symbol Nadi al Rafidayin al Riyadi (Beth - Nahrain), Mesopotamian Athletic Club in Qamishli, Syria, 1934 with flame and torch.

How the Arameans stole the red and yellow colors of the Assyrian national movement.

The colors red and yellow are currently used by the Syrian* football team, but they borrowed them from the Assyrians who used these colors earlier. Look at a photograph of the 1970 King Sanherib festival in Beirut Lebanon, and note the Assyrian star and Ashur symbol in the center of the red and yellow flag. In addition, the same colors were on the flag of the Assyrian 8th Battalion in the Syrian city of Jazeera during the French Mandate. The Assyrian Football Club team in Sweden also used red and yellow colors in the early 70's before the Syrian Football Club was formed.

1. Assyrian basketball club from Syria during the Assyrian festival of Tammuz in 2004. Note the red-yellow T-shirts with the winged solar disk Ashura in the abdomen. 2. Another version of Ashura's winged solar disk is the Assyrian Youth Association of America. Red and yellow colors are reflected in the symbol. 3. Assyrian winged bull, Lamassu. This picture hung in the headquarters of the Assyrian 8th Battalion Headquarters before the French left over Syria towards the Arabs. Pay attention to the red color of his body and the yellow color of the wings. 4. Al-Nadi As-Suriani al Lubnani, Assyrian Association in Beirut. On the winged solar disk of Ashura, the Lebanese cedar replaced a burning torch.

Football players of the Assyrian football club in Sweden in red and yellow jerseys. 1974

Football players of the Syrian "Aramaic" football club. T-shirts of the same colors, only the stripes are reversed.

From the title of this rating, an opinion may arise that we are talking about fair-haired and blue-eyed beauties of the Nordic race (like Anita Ekberg or women from the paintings of Wolfgang Willrich), which was called Aryan by Nazi theorists. However, the rating will focus on the most beautiful, according to the rating of the site Top Anthropos. girls and women of nations speaking Aryan languages.

Before the beginning of the II millennium BC. e. the Aryans were a single people who roamed the steppes of Siberia and Central Asia. Then a split occurred within the Aryans. Part of the Aryans moved to the southeast and reached India, the other part settled in the Iranian Highlands. Perhaps the reason for the split of the Aryans was a religious conflict, the traces of which are visible in the difference between the names of good and bad beings in Hinduism (the religion of the Indian Aryans) and Zoroastrianism (the religion of the Iranians, which has almost disappeared now). For example, gods in Hinduism are called devas, and in Zoroastrianism, devas are evil spirits. In Hinduism, demons and opponents of the gods are called asuras, and in Zoroastrianism, Ahura are gods, the supreme deity of Zoroastrianism is called Ahura Mazda.

Until the 19th century, it was assumed that there were only two groups of Aryan peoples ( Indo-Aryans And Iranian arias), but then it turned out that in the mountain valleys of the Hindu Kush for several millennia there has been a third branch of the Aryans - Nuristani representing several peoples living an archaic life. Until the 19th century, they successfully fought with the surrounding Muslims, preserving their ancient beliefs, but a little over 100 years ago, having lost the war to the Pashtuns, they nevertheless converted to Islam.

Dards(the peoples inhabiting the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region) are often considered as the fourth branch of the Aryans, while you can often find information that the Dards are Indo-Aryans.

There are currently 313 Aryan languages, which is 2/3 of the total number of Indo-European languages. More than 1 billion people speak Indo-Aryan languages, about 200 million people speak Iranian languages, 5.5 million people speak Dardic languages, and about 130 thousand people speak Nuristani languages. In total, Aryan languages ​​are spoken by approximately 1.2 billion people, they account for half of the number of speakers of the Indo-European language family (which also includes Slavic, Germanic, Romance languages).

The most beautiful women of the Iranian peoples

The most beautiful Persian- model and actress Claudia Lynx / Claudia Lynx. She was born on June 8, 1982 in Tehran (Iran) to a Persian family. When the girl was 5 years old, her family moved to Norway. Now Claudia Lynx lives in the USA. Real name and surname - Shagayegh Samen / Shaghayegh Samen. At the same time, Azerbaijani sources indicate that her real name- Alizade, and her family belongs to Iranian Azerbaijanis. Claudia Lynx herself does not comment on these rumors.

The Assyrian people (not to be confused with the Syrians), contrary to popular belief, still exist.

The Church of the East, the forerunner of the current Holy Apostolic Catholic (Cathedral) Assyrian Church of the East (not to be confused with the Roman Catholic Church), pastorally ministered to about 80 million members during its heyday.

Church members were not only ethnic Assyrians. Among them were Chinese, Indians, Arabs and representatives of other nations.

Below is a small (As)Syrian around the world that was (partially) built by the Assyrians.

1. Church of St. Mary (Mat Mariam) in Moscow.

Many Assyrians who escaped the genocide in the Ottoman Empire ("Saifo" - translated from Assyrian "sword") found refuge in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. According to the 2002 Russian census, the number of Assyrians in the country is 14,000. According to other sources, about 70,000 Assyrians live in Russia today.

2. Church in Al Jubail. Saudi Arabia.

The "Nestorian" church was built in the 300s. IN Saudi Arabia open confession is prohibited and churches are not built.

3. Mongolia.

Although this is not a photograph of a church, it is an epitaph written in (As) Syriac from Mongolia clearly showing that the Mongols belonged to the Church of the East. The (Old) Mongolian alphabet is believed to have been influenced by the Aramaic alphabet.

4. Daqin Pagoda

Probably built in the 600s. Some researchers believe that it was originally a Buddhist temple ( handed over to the Assyrians). Perhaps on the wall of the temple there is an image of the prophet Jonah.

5. Mor Gabriel Monastery. Tour Abdin. Türkiye.

Built in the 300s on the site of an ancient Assyrian pagan temple. Currently owned by the Syro-Orthodox ( Jacobite) Churches .

6. Monastery of Rabban Hormizd in Alkosh. Iraq.

Carved into the rocks, it was completed in 640. Originally belonging to the Church of the East, it is now under the jurisdiction of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

7. Mart Mariam Church in Thrissur, India.

The Assyrian Church of the East in India is also known as the Chaldean Syrian Church. This Church should not be confused with the Syro-Malabar (Uniate Catholic), Malankara (Jacobite), and Syro-Malankar (Uniate Catholic of the West Syriac Rite) Churches. Initially, they were a single Indian Church, founded by the Apostle Thomas and in canonical unity with the Church of the East. But after the fall Persian Empire and the decline of the Church of the East due to Muslim invasions (especially Tamerlane), all ties with the "Nestorians" were interrupted. In the 15th century, the Portuguese colonialists began to persuade Indian Christians to unite with Rome. To some extent, they succeeded. The opponents of the union established ties with the Jacobite Church and adopted the West Syriac Rite and Miaphysite Christology. A small part of the "Christians of Saint Thomas" somehow restored the lost ties with the Assyrian Church of the East. Now there are very few "Nestorians" in India (compared to the Uniates and Jacobites) - only 15,000 people. They are now led by the Metropolitan of India Mar Afrem Muken

8 . Chaldean Church of St. Thomas (Thomas) in Sarcelles. France.

10. Nestorian Church in Famagusta. Cyprus.

Two wealthy Assyrian brothers from Syria built a church in the name of St. George in the 1300s. The church now functions as a cultural center for the Eastern Mediterranean University. Church services are occasionally held.

In Cyprus, in the era of the de Lusignans, many Nestorians lived. The richest was the Lakhas family. The head of the family, Francis Lakhas, was a creditor to King Peter I and received a title of nobility. When King Peter came to dine with "Sir Francis", the millionaire scattered rubies and sapphires on the floor, in front of the fireplace, and the floor in the house was covered with gold ducats, so that the king stepped only on gold. After dinner, the king played chess with his banker, sitting, in an oriental way, on carpets and pillows, by the fireplace. The king found it hard to look at the multi-colored glare of rubies and sapphires scattered by the fire, reflected on the walls and ceiling of the hall.

Francis Lakhas had a huge diamond, which he profitably sold to one of the Arab caliphs. However, later Lakhas regretted that he had parted with such a rarity that admired his beloved king, and bought the diamond back, paying twice as much.

As a dowry for his daughter, whom he married to a lieutenant of the royal musketeers in France, Lakhas gave a diamond tiara that dwarfed the jewels of the French queen.

The vast wealth of the Lakhas family went to waste. During the clashes in Famagusta, at the coronation of King Peter II, the warehouses of Sir Francis burned down, and his house was completely looted. From these shocks, Francis had a stroke. His sons then eked out a miserable existence in Nicosia. One became a porter in the monastery's orphanage for the poor, and the other sold sweets from a stall on the street.

In 1359, when Francis Lakhas was just beginning to create his vast fortune, he built a church that you can visit. There is a terrible legend about her. They say that one who wants the death of his enemy should collect dust on the floor of the church of Lakhas, climb the fortress wall of Famagusta and drop a bag of dust in a conspicuous place, and then, after passing the gate, he had to pick it up and secretly take it to the house of his enemy and hide it there. In a year, death will come to this house. However, if the avenger accidentally scattered dust on himself or carried a bag of dust through the gates of the city of Famagusta, then in a year he would die himself. Inside the church now nothing reminds of this terrible legend.

Unfortunately, the magnificent 14th-century Italian-style frescoes commissioned by Lakhas were later smeared over by ignorant Greek monks, and the present ones are of no interest. Church services are held every Sunday.

Cypriot "Nestorians" joined the Catholic Church for