Southwest Palace at Kalhu

The Southwest Palace, named after its location in the Kalhu citadel, was (partial) excavated by Austen Henry Layard in 1845–51, Hormuzd Rassam in 1853–54, William Kennett Loftus in 1854, George Smith in 1873, and Sir Max Mallowan in 1951. The building was constructed by the seventh-century-BC Assyrian king Esarhaddon (r. 680–669 BC), including reused (inscribed and inscribed) limestone slabs taken from earlier palaces constructed at Kalhu, especially from the Central Palace, which was located north of the Southwest Palace and south of the Northwest Palace.

It is generally assumed that Esarhaddon started work on this palace late in his reign, perhaps ca. 672 BC (his ninth regnal year), and that it remained unfinished at the time of his death in 669 BC. It is unknown if this Assyrian king was constructing the palace for himself or for his fourth-eldest son Ashurbanipal, whom he had nominated as heir designate of the Assyrian Empire; for example, see RINAP 4 online Esarhaddon 079, which records that Esarhaddon had a royal residence built for Ashurbanipal at Kalhu.