Page:A History of Art in Chaldæa & Assyria Vol 2.djvu/56

 ,s A History of Art in Ciiai.d.ka and Assyria. Of all the royal buildings at Calah that which has been most methodically and thoroughly cleared is the oldest of all, the north- western palace, or palace of Assurnazirpal (885 — 860). It has not been entirely laid open, but the most richly decorated parts, corresponding to the seraglio at Khorsabad, have been cleared. The adjoining plan (Fig. 14) shows arrangements quite similar to those of Sargon's palace. A large court is surrounded on three sides by as many rectangular groups of apartments, each group forming a separate suite, with its own entrances to the court. The chief entrance faces the north. Two great doorways flanked by winged and human-headed lions, give access to a long FlG. 13. — General view of Nimroud ; from Layard, gallery (4 on plan). At the western end of this gallery there is a small platform or dais raised several steps above the rest of the floor. Upon this, no doubt, the king's throne was placed on those reception days when subjects and vassals crowded to his feet. Some idea of what such a reception must have been may be gained from an Indian Durbar, or from the Sultan of Turkey's annual review of all his great functionaries of state at the feast of Courban-Bairam. I witnessed the latter ceremony in the Old b.c. 681, built the south-west palace. Lastly the grandson of Esar-haddon, Assur- ebil-ili, the last King of Assyria, rebuilt the temple of Nebo just before the destruction of the Assyrian Empire." A general description of the platform and the buildings upon it will be found in Layard, Discoveries, pp. 653-656.