Assyrian Protective Spirit, Nimrud

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 28 August 2017
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Assyrian Protective Spirit, Nimrud Download Full Size Image

Alabaster bas-relief, depicting a standing human-headed genie or sage, from the North-West Palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nimrud, Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. Neo-Assyrian Empire, 9th century BCE.

Apkallu, a protective spirit, protects the Assyrian king as well as the palace and its inhabitants against evil demons. He wears a diadem with a rosette (instead of a horned helmet) and has two pairs of wings. The left hand holds a bucket.

Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Germany.

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2017, August 28). Assyrian Protective Spirit, Nimrud. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7130/assyrian-protective-spirit-nimrud/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Assyrian Protective Spirit, Nimrud." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified August 28, 2017. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7130/assyrian-protective-spirit-nimrud/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Assyrian Protective Spirit, Nimrud." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 28 Aug 2017. Web. 04 Mar 2025.

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