The Directorate of Antiquities in Saladin announced on Wednesday that a German archaeological mission has begun excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Assur (Ashur).

Ali Ahmad Abdul Latif, the Inspector of Antiquities in Saladin, told Shafaq News that "the German mission's work will play an important role in uncovering further archaeological findings in this significant location in the province."

The ancient city of Ashur is located on the limestone plateau of northern Mesopotamia, perched on a cliff along the western bank of the Tigris River.

Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C. along a key trade route connecting the Iranian plateau to Central Anatolia, Ashur grew in prominence and became the capital of the Assyrian Empire from the 14th to the 9th centuries B.C. The city's name is derived from Ashur, the chief deity of the Assyrians, who became the national god of the Assyrian kings.

Although King Ashurnasirpal II later moved the capital northward to Kalhu (modern-day Nimrud), Ashur retained its religious significance as the dwelling place of the national god and the burial site for deceased kings.