An unusual district
On the same terrace as the palace, a religious area abutted the royal residence. Victor Place mistakenly identified it as a harem because of its hidden aspect - it only had one door. Although quite distinct from the residence, the temples nevertheless came under royal authority. The name Sargon appears on some of the brick panels, which was conveyed, like pictographs, through the use of images, including of a lion and a bird.
Organisation and decoration of the temples
This sector, accessible from the palace through the large Courtyard XV, was dominated by a ziggurat whose sides measured 43 metres long. Six temples were grouped around a square courtyard and were dedicated to each of the following deities: Sin, Shamash, Ningal, Adad, Ninurta and Ea. At the entrances were traces of scenes composed of bricks with glaze as well as the remains of wooden pillars covered with decorated bronze bands. Stone statues were placed there, including one of a god holding a flowing vase.
The Temple of Nabu
The temple of Nabu, the god of scribes (Building H), the largest in Khorsabad, was built on a platform rather than the palace terrace. A stone bridge connected it to the temple district. Statues of the god have also been discovered here. Not far from the palace, Fuad Safar's Iraqi team uncovered the Sibitti Temple in 1957.
