Northwest Palace of Ashur-Nasir-Pal II

The Northwest Palace at Nimrud (ancient Kalhu) in Iraq was built by Neo-Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II (r. 883-859 BC) as part of his transformation of Nimrud into the imperial capital. Covering some 28,000 square meters, the palace featured hundreds of carved gypsum ('Mosul marble') relief panels depicting royal hunts, warfare, and protective spirits, with the 'Standard Inscription' repeating the king's titles in cuneiform. Monumental lamassu -- winged human-headed bulls with five legs -- guarded its entrances. First excavated by Austen Henry Layard in the 1840s, the palace was one of the great archaeological discoveries of the 19th century. It was tragically demolished by ISIL in March 2015.