DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0240
176
ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book IV.
The principal palace stood at the sonth-western angle of this mound,
and as far as the excavation has heen carried seenis to have formed a
square of ahout 600 ft. each way—douhle the lineal dimensions of that
at K imroud. Its general arrangements were very similar to those at
Khorsahad. It enclosed within itself two or three great intemal courts,
surrounded hy 60 or 70 apartments, some of great extent. The principal
facade, fac;ing the east, far surpassed any of those of Khorsahad, hoth
in size ancl magnificence, heing adorned by 10 wingecl bulls of the
largest dimensions, wit.h two giants hetween the two principal external
ones, in the manner shown in the annexed wooclcut (Ko. 118), hesides
smaller sculptures—the whole extencling to a length of not less than
350 ft. Inside this great. portal was a hall, 180 ft. in length hy 40 in
width, with a recess at each end, ancl through it access was had to two
court-yards, one on the right and one on the leffc: and heyond these to
the other and apparently the more private apartments of the palace, over-
looking the country ancl the river Tigris, which fiowed to the westward of
the palace—the principal entrance, as at Ivhorsabad, heing from the city.
It is impossihle, of course, to say how much fuither the palace
extencled, though it is prohable that nearly all the apartments which
were reveted with sculptures have been laid open : hut what has heen
excavated occupies so small a portion of the mound that it is impos-
sihle to escape the conviction that it foims only a very small fraction
of the imperial palace of Nineveh. Judging even from what has
heen uncoverecl, it is, of all the huildings of antiquity, surpassed in
magnitude only hy the great palace-temple at Karnac; and, when we
consider the vastness of the mound on which it is raised, and the rich-
ness of the omaments with which it was adorned, it. is hy no means
clear that it was not as great, or at least as expensive, a work as the great
palace-temple of Tliehes. The latter, however, was huilt witli far higher
motives, and designed to last through ages, while
the palace at Nineveh was huilt only to gratifv
the harharic pride of a wealthy and sensual mo-
narch, a.nd perished with the epliemeral dynasty
to wliich he helonged.
Another Assyrian palace, of which eonsider-
PH ahle remains still exist, is that. of Esarliaddon,
®§r commonly known as the South-west palace at
|j| Nimroud. Like the others, this too has heen
IP destroyecl hy fire, and the only part that remains
jjji sufficiently entire to he descrihed is the entrance
or southem hall. Its general dimensions are
165 ft. in length hy 62 ft. in width, ancl it, conse-
Scale 100 ft. to l incli.
ii9. Haii of South-West Paiace. quent.ly is the largest hall yet found in Assyria.
The architects, however, do not, seem to have heen
quite equal to roofing so large a space even with the numher of pillars
with wliich they seem usually to have crowded their floors; and it, is
ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE.
Book IV.
The principal palace stood at the sonth-western angle of this mound,
and as far as the excavation has heen carried seenis to have formed a
square of ahout 600 ft. each way—douhle the lineal dimensions of that
at K imroud. Its general arrangements were very similar to those at
Khorsahad. It enclosed within itself two or three great intemal courts,
surrounded hy 60 or 70 apartments, some of great extent. The principal
facade, fac;ing the east, far surpassed any of those of Khorsahad, hoth
in size ancl magnificence, heing adorned by 10 wingecl bulls of the
largest dimensions, wit.h two giants hetween the two principal external
ones, in the manner shown in the annexed wooclcut (Ko. 118), hesides
smaller sculptures—the whole extencling to a length of not less than
350 ft. Inside this great. portal was a hall, 180 ft. in length hy 40 in
width, with a recess at each end, ancl through it access was had to two
court-yards, one on the right and one on the leffc: and heyond these to
the other and apparently the more private apartments of the palace, over-
looking the country ancl the river Tigris, which fiowed to the westward of
the palace—the principal entrance, as at Ivhorsabad, heing from the city.
It is impossihle, of course, to say how much fuither the palace
extencled, though it is prohable that nearly all the apartments which
were reveted with sculptures have been laid open : hut what has heen
excavated occupies so small a portion of the mound that it is impos-
sihle to escape the conviction that it foims only a very small fraction
of the imperial palace of Nineveh. Judging even from what has
heen uncoverecl, it is, of all the huildings of antiquity, surpassed in
magnitude only hy the great palace-temple at Karnac; and, when we
consider the vastness of the mound on which it is raised, and the rich-
ness of the omaments with which it was adorned, it. is hy no means
clear that it was not as great, or at least as expensive, a work as the great
palace-temple of Tliehes. The latter, however, was huilt witli far higher
motives, and designed to last through ages, while
the palace at Nineveh was huilt only to gratifv
the harharic pride of a wealthy and sensual mo-
narch, a.nd perished with the epliemeral dynasty
to wliich he helonged.
Another Assyrian palace, of which eonsider-
PH ahle remains still exist, is that. of Esarliaddon,
®§r commonly known as the South-west palace at
|j| Nimroud. Like the others, this too has heen
IP destroyecl hy fire, and the only part that remains
jjji sufficiently entire to he descrihed is the entrance
or southem hall. Its general dimensions are
165 ft. in length hy 62 ft. in width, ancl it, conse-
Scale 100 ft. to l incli.
ii9. Haii of South-West Paiace. quent.ly is the largest hall yet found in Assyria.
The architects, however, do not, seem to have heen
quite equal to roofing so large a space even with the numher of pillars
with wliich they seem usually to have crowded their floors; and it, is