Arslan Tash reliefs
The Arslan Tash reliefs are bas-reliefs of human figures and animals which adorned the city gates and temple portals of ancient Hadatu; the modern archeological site of Arslan Tash, literally "the Stone Lion".[1] (Turkish; Arslan - Lion, Taş - Stone)
The bas-reliefs may have been carved by different artists in different periods, but an inscription carved across the body of one bull dates the inscription to the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727BCE) however artistic considerations suggest the conclusion that the reliefs were originally carved some time between the reigns of Shalmaneser III (858-824BCE) and Sargon II (721-705BCE).[2]
In February 2015, in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) publicly ordered the bulldozing of a colossal ancient Assyrian gateway lion sculpture from the 8th century BC.[3] Another lion statue was also destroyed. Both statues originated from the Arslan Tash archaeological site.[4] The destruction was published in the ISIL magazine, Dabiq.
See also
References
- ^ Albenda, Pauline The Gateway and Portal Stone Reliefs from Arslan Tash 1988
- ^ Albenda, p.5
- ^ "Threats to Cultural Heritage in Iraq and Syria". US Department of State. September 23, 2014. Retrieved 27 Feb 2015.
- ^ "Lion statues destroyed". UNESCO. Retrieved 27 Feb 2015.