Aššur

First capital of the Assyrian Empire on the western bank of the Tigris in modern Iraq, serving as the religious and political heart of Assyria from roughly 2500 BC to 614 BC. The site features three ziggurats, including one built from six million mud bricks that once stood 170 feet tall, and double temples dedicated to the god Ashur. Excavated by Walter Andrae from 1903-1914 using pioneering stratigraphic methods. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003, it was simultaneously placed on the Endangered list due to a proposed dam project.