Old Palace at Assur

The following Assyrian kings are known to have sponsored construction on the Old Palace at Assur: Adad-nārārī I, Shalmaneser I, Tukultī-Ninurta I, Aššur-nādin-apli, Aššur-dan I, Aššur-rēša-iši I, Tiglath-pileser I, Aššur-bēl-kala, Ashurnasirpal I, Aššur-dan II, Tukultī-Ninurta II, Ashurnasirpal II, Shalmaneser III, Šamšī-Adad V, Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, and Esarhaddon.

The Assyrian kings Aššur-bēl-kala, Ashurnasirpal II, Šamšī-Adad V, Esarhaddon, and Sennacherib were buried in the Old Palace. As is clear from numerous bricks discovered throughout the city of Assur, the Neo-Assyrian ruler Sennacherib (704–681 BC) appears to have had his own tomb built during his lifetime; that structure may have included both above-ground and underground components. Like other royal tombs at Assur, this king’s tomb, which Sennacherib calls the "Palace of Rest" (ekal tapšuḫti) on one occasion and the "Palace of Sleep" (ekal ṣalāli) on another, might have been situated under the Old Palace. Its location is not known and this likely in part be due to the fact that the tomb was intentionally destroyed at a later date. It is uncertain whether or not Sennacherib was buried in this tomb after he was murdered in late 681 BC.