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Why were statues of the Egyptian pharaoh Taharqa placed at the entrance to Esarhaddonâs arsenal?
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Nineveh
The partially reconstructed Nergal Gate in Nineveh, Iraq.
Statues of the Egyptian pharaoh Taharqa were placed at the entrance to the arsenal built by Esarhaddon in the Nineveh mound of Nabī Yƫnus to serve as trophies celebrating the Assyrian conquest of Egypt.1
Esarhaddon, who reigned as king of Assyria from 680 to 669 BCE, successfully invaded Egypt in 671 BCE, capturing the capital city of Memphis and forcing Taharqa to flee. By displaying these statues, the Assyrian monarchy sought to commemorate this significant military victory and demonstrate their dominance over the Egyptian ruler. These artifacts were later recovered in 1954 by the Iraqi Department of Antiquities.231