THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

GEOGRAPHY OF ASSYRIA:

• Location
• Climate
• Geographic features
• Land and resources

LOCATION:

• Assyria is located in the northern part of Mesopotamia
• reached from Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) through Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and down through Egypt.

Climate:
-winters in central Assyria were cold but generally did not last long nor have a strong impact.
- in summer it was warm which made them grow crops and develop agriculture.

GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES

• The land is flat and exposed,which makes it easier to be attacked by invaders
• - this influenced the culture a war like behavior
• -they repelled invaders by setting up a strong army.
• Tigris and Euphrates run through Assyria

Untitled Slide

• The Taurus and zagros mountains are to the north and east.
• There is an adequate amount of rainfall by the foot of the zagros mountains, which contributes to their healthy soil.
• Important cities like ninevah, ashur,Arbil,nimrod and arapkha are located near the Tigris river.

LAND AND RESOURCES:

• The Assyrian land is very rich, fertile and was an essential part of their agriculture
• Major crops producing areas include arbel plain and Nineveh plain.
• Assyria was successful in agriculture for its abundant crops.
• Figs,olives,pomegranates,almond,mulberries,Cotton and grains were grown.

HISTORY OF ASSYRIA

• Assyrian culture and religion.
• Worship
• Customs
• Assyrian military

ASSYRIAN CULTURE AND RELIGION:

• Artifacts formed by archaeologists acted as a window for the Assyrians way of life.
• The Assyrians had a form of record keeping and a distinct culture
• Detailed artwork,pottery,carvings, and sculpture demonstrates the way they battled, their weapons etc.

Assyrian art
And sculpture

WORSHIP

• In the ancient Assyrian religion,the king was paramount (highest in rank)
• Assure was the national god, who was represented by the king . He was depicted as the warrior god and leader in war.

Assyrian god
Assur

The Assyrian god nisroch

CUSTOMS

• Akito is known as the Assyrian new year.
• Ashur,Sargon,shami-ram,and nimrod are popular Christian and Assyrian names given to children

ASSYRIAN CUSTOMS

EXPANSION:

• Assyria expanded by their military forces and kept the territory using force.
• Between 850-650 B.C. Assyria defeated Syria, Palestine, Babylonia and conquered Egypt, reaching beyond the Fertile Crescent

ASSYRIAN MILITARY

• The Assyrian army was the largest standing army ever seen in the Middle East or the Mediterranean
• Not only the Assyria have advanced technology, they also had great tactics to capture other kingdoms.
• The army drew rams in the city walls to break them down.
• They used sappers (soldiers who dug tunnels) to damage the origins of the enemy’s walls so they would weaken and fall.

ASSYRIAN MILITARY

• If there were river between the Assyrian army and the city, the engineers would build pontoons to bridge the rivers.
• They tied inflated animal skins together and connected the pontoons to the shores with beams.

ASSYRIAN ARMY

THE ASSYRIAN TROOPS THREW LADDERS AGAINST THE WALLS OF CITIES AND CLIMBED AND CLIMBED INTO THE CITY’S STRONGHOLD WHILE THE ARCHERS LAUNCh arrows.

Assyrian flag

END