King Anubanini’s rock relief at Sarpol-e Zohab

Anubanini was a king of the Lullubi, an ancient tribe located in the north Zagros mountains, in the actual Kurdistan. The lullubi are known from the ancient babylonian text, relating some of their campaigns looting some cities of the Mesopotamian plain, saying they came down from their moutains. They also left a set of 4 rock reliefs, all located in a gorge at Sarpol-e Zohab city. Another relief of the Parthian era was later carved under king Anubanini’s. The king is the main character, represented in a victorious posture, a dead enemy laying on the ground, under his foot. He holds a hatchet with the right hand, an arch and arrow with the left hand. He stands over a rank of naked prisoners hands bended in the back. The monarch overlooks other 2 kneeling naked prisoners, also hand bended in the back, tied by a string passed through rings on their noses, brought by goddess Innana, also known under the Babylonian name Ishtar. Innana wears a babylonain tiara, holds the ring of power to the king, a solar disc being seen above the scene. The relief was carved during the Isin I & Ur III eras (end of the 3nd millennium BCE), king Anubanini was identified by an Akkadian inscription. The relief is said to have inspired the style of Famous , a registering process at the UNESCO world heritage was started, linking Anubanini’s relief to Behistun’s registration.

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