This former Assyrian capital (named after the Assyrian god Nina) was renowned for its ruins of ancient buildings, a few nicely restored gates, some partially restored walls and a small museum. In early 2015, ISIS terrorists bulldozed the ruins, blew up the gates and trashed the museum. Fortunately, most of the area's finds had already been distributed to museums throughout the world, especially the British Museum.
Ninevah is mentioned in the Bible as the city to which Jonah was sent to preach repentance. A tablet found there by archaeologist George Smith in 1872 contained the Assyrian Gilgamesh Epic of the Creation and the Flood (believed to have been written between 1750 and 1400 BC), which offered another story of the great flood.
Nineveh is located across the Tigris River from Mosul, 225 mi/365 km northwest of Baghdad.
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