Relief, solar disc resembling dreamcatchers

A view of the excavation

Oil on canvas according to photo original Elisabeth Andrae (1876-1945) Berlin 1932, VAK 2, VAK 3

What did the city of Ashur look like during the excavations? Based on photographs and watercolours, large wall paintings were produced for the exhibition in the Vorderasiatisches Museum, mostly by Elisabeth Andrae, sister of the then director, Walter Andrae. They were intended to convey for museum visitors the atmosphere of the excavation site, with its particular quality of light and its earthy colours. Other paintings were made by Johann Walter-Kurau and Helmuth Körber. For over 80 years they have been part of the concept of the museum display.

The large picture in this room shows the view looking northwards from the Ashur ziggurat towards the outcrop with the ruins of the Ashur Temple, which had been partially built over by a modern Turkish barracks.

In the smaller painting we are looking the other way: in the foreground is the great courtyard of the Temple of Ashor wit the remains of the water basin, and in the background we can just see the zigurat.

Taken on  Wednesday 07th of August 2019

Device: Google

Model: Pixel 3 XL