Nairi
ancient district, Southwest Asia
Nairi, ancient district of Southwest Asia located around the upper headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and around Lake Van (called by the Assyrians the Sea of Nairi; now in Turkey) and Lake Urmia (now in Iran). It is known chiefly from Assyrian inscriptions, including those of Tiglath-pileser I (reigned c.. 1115βc.. 1077 bce), who called himself the conqueror of the lands of Nairi, and Ashurnasirpal II (reigned 883β859 bce), who asserted that he...