Royal Library of Ashurbanipal

The Library was named after the last great King of Assyria and it was established in 7th century BC. Ashurbanipal was the last of the powerful Assyrian kings from reigned 668 BC to c. 627 BC, for soon after his death, Assyria was conquered by Babylonia.

In addition to being a skillful military figure, Ashurbanipal was also a lover of literature and education. This king was a great patron of learning a he spared no pains in filling his library with series of well-made, well-baked and carefully written clay tablets dealing with grammar, history, religious and profane literature, magic, omens, incarnations, divination, astrology, etc.

Many of his tablets were written in two languages, Sumerian and Assyrian, and the information derived from them is practically the foundation of the modern science of Assyriology.

Royal Library of Ashurbanipal was the greatest library of its time, providing a rich collection of materials and information on Mesopotamia and its culture. At its height, it was estimated to have as many as 3o,ooo clay tablets, two-thirds of which were collected during Ashurbanipal’s reign.
Royal Library of Ashurbanipal