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Zincirli (Sam'al)

Sam'al was the capital of a Neo-Hittite/Aramaean kingdom of the region from about the 10th to 7th century BCE. It was first excavated by the German Oriental Society between 1888 and 1902. They found a heavily fortified citadel within a larger double-walled fortification with 100 bastions and three gates. Excavations revealed giant statues of lions and numerous orthostats and inscribed steles in Aramaic, Phoenician, and a local dialect of Aramaic called Sam'alian. Since 2006 the site has been excavated by a team from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago under David Schloen. Most of the finds are in the Istanbul Archeology Museum and Vorderasiatisches Museum in Berlin.


Click on the pictures for larger images.

City Plan

Satellite view and city plan - adapted from Google Earth, 2021 City plan Citadel plan 3D Citadel Plan - Pergamon Museum Berlin

Southern City Gate
Louvre, Vorderasiatisches Museum, Istanbul Museum, Gaziantep Museum
Reconstruction of outer city gates, R. Koldeway Louvre Museum - B. Bilgin, 2013 Two men with drinking cups, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Winged griffin, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Winged griffin, Vorderasiatisches Museum - F. von Luschan, 1902 Hunter and a rabbit, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2003 Animals in hunt, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2003 Winged griffin and sphinx, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Warrior on a horse holding a severed head, Vorderasiatisches Museum - F. von Luschan, 1902 Horse rider, Vorderasiatisches Museum - O. M. Teßmer. in Gaziantep Museum - F. Anıl, 2018

Outer Citadel Gate - West Wing Orthostats
All west wing orthostats are in Istanbul Archaeology Museum
Drawing of outer citadel gate, view from north - R. Koldeway B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2003 B. Bilgin, 2003 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2003 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2011 B. Bilgin, 2011 B. Bilgin, 2011 B. Bilgin, 2011 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006

Outer Citadel Gate - East Wing Orthostats
All east wing orthostats are in the Vorderasiatisches Museum
Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum T. Bilgin, 2010 T. Bilgin, 2010 Vorderasiatisches Müzesi Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum Vorderasiatisches Museum T. Bilgin, 2010

Inner Citadel Gate - Lions and Sphinxes
Gate lions - F. von Luschan, 1911 (1902) Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Louvre - T. Bilgin, 2007 Louvre - T. Bilgin, 2007

Gate Q Lions and Phoenician Inscription of Kulamuwa
Vorderasiatisches Museum
View of Gate Q from east - F. von Luschan, 1902 Gate Q Lion, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Gate Q Lion, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Incription of Kulamuwa, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010

Statue of a king
Istanbul Archaeology Museum
B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006 B. Bilgin, 2006

Hilani IV
Entrance of Hilani IV - F. von Luschan, 1911 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - F. von Luschan, 1911 From Hilani IV, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani IV, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010

Hilani III
From Hilani III, Gaziantep Museum - F. Anıl, 2018 From Hilani III, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani III, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani III, Istanbul Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani III, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 From Hilani III, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani III, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2010 From Hilani III, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2010

Hilani II
A stele of Kulamuwa (from near Hilani II), Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Gate lion, Istanbul Museum (from near Hilani II) - T. Bilgin, 2020 Sphinx from Hilani II, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2003 Double-horse statue base (from near Hilani II) - F. von Luschan, 1911 Horse sculpture fragments (from near Hilani II), Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010

Inscriptions
Incription of Kulamuwa, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Ördekburnu Stele, Istanbul Museum - T. Bilgin, 2020 Panamuwa I Inscription from Gerçin - T. Bilgin, 2010 Sam'alian inscription of Kuttamuwa, Gaziantep Museum - F. Anıl, 2018 Barrakib's Sam'alian inscription for his father Panamuwa II from Gerçin - zincirli.uchicago.edu Aramaic inscription of Barrakib, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Aramaic inscription of Barrakib, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Aramaic inscription of Barrakib, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010

Others
View of Building K from south - F. von Luschan, 1902 View from inside Building J towards Gate Q - F. von Luschan, 1902 Column base from Building K, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Column base from Building K, Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2003 From east wall of Hilani I, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 From a field outside the city, Gaziantep Museum - B. Bilgin, 2009 Gaziantep Museum - B. Bilgin, 2009 Adana Museum - T. Bilgin, 2017 Current location is unknown - F. von Luschan, 1902


Detail pages for some of the orthostats, sculpture and inscriptions
Horse rider, Vorderasiatisches Museum - W. Ward, 1887 Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2006 Vorderasiatisches Museum - F. von Luschan, 1911 Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2010 Istanbul Museum - B. Bilgin, 2010 Gate lion, Istanbul Museum - T. Bilgin, 2020 Double-horse statue base - F. von Luschan, 1911 Horse sculpture fragments (from near Hilani II), Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010 Ördekburnu Stele, Istanbul Museum - T. Bilgin, 2020 Panamuwa I Inscription - T. Bilgin, 2010 Barrakib's Sam'alian inscription for his father Panamuwa II - zincirli.uchicago.edu Aramaic inscription of Barrakib, Vorderasiatisches Museum - T. Bilgin, 2010


Literature:
Gilibert, A. Syro-Hittite monumental art and the archaeology of performance: the stone reliefs at Carchemish and Zincirli in the earlier first millennium BCE, Berlin, 2011.
Orthmann, W. Untersuchungen zur späthethitischen Kunst, Bonn, 1971.
Pucci, M. "Founding and Planning a new Town: the southern Town Gate at Zincirli," FsMazzoni (PIHANS 126), 2015: 35–74.
von Luschan, F., E. Schrader, and E. Sachau, Ausgrabungen in Sendschirli, vol. I. Berlin, 1893.
von Luschan, F. and R. Koldeway, Ausgrabungen in Sendschirli, vol. II. Berlin, 1898.
von Luschan, F. Ausgrabungen in Sendschirli, vol. III. Berlin, 1902.
von Luschan, F. and G. Jacoby, Ausgrabungen in Sendschirli, vol. IV. Berlin, 1911.
For detailed information on the site of Zincirli, see https://zincirli.uchicago.edu.
(List of Abbreviations)


Image sources:
Vorderasiatisches Museum.
Bora Bilgin, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2013.
Felix von Luschan, 1893, 1902, 1911.
William H. Ward, AJA 3, 1887.
Figen Anıl, 2018.
Tayfun Bilgin, 2007, 2010, 2020.
Kings of Sam'al

Gabbār
Bānihu/Bamah(?)
Hayyānu
Ša`īl
Kilamuwa/Kulamuwa
Qurala/Qarli(?)
Panamuwa I
Bar-Ṣūr
Usurper whose name is not known
Panamuwa II
Bar-Rākib

founder of the dynasty
son(?) of Gabbār
son(?) of Bānihu
son of Hayyānu
son of Hayyānu

son of Qurala
(?)

son of Bar-Ṣūr
son of Panamuwa II


(ca. 920 BCE)
(until ca. 860 BCE)
(ca. 860 to 850 BCE)
(ca. 850 to 840 BCE)
(ca. 840 to 830 BCE)




(739–733 BCE)
(733 to ca. 713 BCE)