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The Assyrians....
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Assyria is located in north Mesopotamia and spans four
countries: In Syria it extends west to the
Euphrates river; in Turkey it
extends north to Harran, Edessa, Diyarbakir, and Lake Van; in Iran it
extends east to Lake Urmi, and in Iraq it extends to about 100 miles south
of Kirkuk. This is the Assyrian heartland, from which so much of the ancient
Near East came to be controlled. |
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Two great rivers run through Assyria, the
Tigris and the Euhprates, and many lesser ones, the most important of which being the Upper Zab and Lower Zab, both tributaries to the Tigris. Strategically surrounding
the Tigris and the two Zabs are the Assyrian cities of Nineveh, Ashur, Arbel,
Nimrod and Arrapkha.
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Assyrians Presenting gifts
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To the north and east of Assyria lie the Taurus and
Zagros mountains. To the west and south lies a great, low limestone plateau.
At the southern end of Assyria the gravel plains give way to alluvium
deposited by the Tigris, and farther south there is insufficient rainfall
for agriculture without irrigation. These two features create a geogrpahical
boundary between Assyria and the neighboring land to the south.
To the south of Baghdad lies Babylon. There is a
stark geographical distinction between Babylonia and Assyria.
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The Assyrian land is rich and fertile, with growing
fields found in every region. Two large areas comprise the Assyrian
breadbasket: the Arbel plain and the Nineveh plain. To this day these areas
remain critical crop producers. This is from where Assyria derived her
strength, as it could feed a large population of professionals and
craftsman, which allowed it to expand and advance the art of civilization. |
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