Athar Alrafedain

Abstract

The province of ḫabḫu is one of the vast provinces located on the northern border of Assyria. This province was frequently mentioned in many cuneiform sources from the Neo-Assyrian period. It was a strategic center and a linking area on the famous Assyrian Royal Road
It was coveted by the two main powers in the ancient Near East: namely the Kingdoms of Urartu and Assyria, because its location on commercial roads, its major mineral production and horses breeding areas.
The Extensions and Geographical Scope of the Province of ḫabḫu:
From some of the Assyrian kings' annals, we conclude that this Assyrian province represents a border area for Assyria, extending from the Upper Zab River to the border with the Hittites, i.e. from the Zab River seemed to have been the province's eastern border, which included Alluba, modern Zakho. It extended westwards to the Hittite border in central Asia and Anatolia. This means it used to include: Ibin Omar Island in south-eastern Turkey, Zakho, Amadiyah, Alqush, Shikhan and Aqrah, with its center located in the town of Amadiyah.
The scholar managed to discover and match many of the villages, towns and cities that were affiliated to this province, of those that remained unidentified by researchers, with local sites and archaeological hills at present.