The doctoral thesis entitled “Assyrian influences on Achaemenid arts and architecture” was defended in the Department of Archeology at the College of Archeology, University of Mosul, on Monday, July 22, 2024.
Part of the viva was attended by Assistant Professor Dr. Yasser Jaber Khalil, Assistant Dean for Scientific Affairs, and Father Ghazwan Yousef Shahara, a doctor in the Bible, who is a Chaldean priest in the Chaldean Diocese of Alqosh.
The thesis submitted by the student (Layal Khalil Ismail) aims to identify the origins of Achaemenid arts and architecture and their influence on Mesopotamia, specifically the Neo-Assyrian era (911-612 BC). Here, it is necessary to distinguish between the original and acquired elements from various aspects, including determining the places where the palaces were built, their plans, and the decorations executed on them, as well as the wall sculptures with their various themes, especially in mythological scenes, and the system of the royal gardens in the complex of palaces of the Achaemenid capitals.
The study concluded with a set of conclusions, the most important of which is the great role of the location of Mesopotamia, its direct geographical contact with the country of Iran, and the cultural mixing due to the continuous Assyrian campaigns that led to the transfer of cultural vocabulary to the country of Iran, where the civilization of Mesopotamia was distinguished by its originality and antiquity, which had a great impact on the countries of the Near East. the old.
The viva committee was chaired by Professor Dr. Muhammad Hamza Hussein, and the membership of Assistant Professor Dr. Shaima Ali Ahmed, Assistant Professor Dr. Khalaf Zidan Khalaf, Assistant Professor Dr. Moaz Habash Khader, and Assistant Professor Dr. Yayar Siddiq Ramadan from the University of Dohuk, College of Humanities – Department of Archeology, and under the supervision of And the membership of Professor Dr. Yasmine Abdel Karim Muhammad Ali, Dean of the college of Archaeology.