ally square, or nearly so, and in their greatest dimensions rarely
exceeded ten yards. The whole palace was raised upon a lofty platform,
made of sun-burnt brick, but externally cased on every side with hewn
stone. There were two grand facades, one facing the north, on which side
there was an ascent to the platform from the town: and the other facing
the Tigris, which anciently flowed at the foot of the platform towards
the west. On the northern front two or three gateways, flanked with
andro-sphinxes, gave direct access to the principal hall or audience
chamber, a noble apartment, but too narrow for its length, lined
throughout with sculptured slabs representing the various actions of the
king, and containing at the upper or eastern end a raised stone platform
cut into steps, which, it is probable, was intended to support at a
proper elevation the carved throne of the monarch. A grand portal in the
southern wall of the chamber, guarded on either side by winged
human-headed bulls in yellow limestone, conducted into a second hall
considerably smaller than the first, and having less variety of
ornament, which communicated with the central court by a handsome
gateway towards the south; and, towards the east, was connected with a
third hall, one of the most remarkable in the palace. This chamber was a
better-proportioned room than most, being about ninety feet long by
twenty-six wide; it ran along the eastern side of the great court, with
which it communicated by two gateways, and, internally, it was adorned
with sculptures of a more finished and elaborate character than any
other room in the building. Behind this eastern hall was another opening
into it, of somewhat greater length, but only twenty feet wide; and this
led to five small chambers, which here bounded the palace. South of the
Great Court were, again, two halls communicating with each other; but
they were of inferior size to those on the north and west, and were far
less richly ornamented. It is conjectured that there were also two or
three halls on the west side of the court between it and the river; but
of this there was no very clear evidence, and it may be doubted whether
the court towards the west was not, at least partially, open to the
river. Almost every hall had one or two small chambers attached to it,
which were most usually at the ends of the halls, and connected with
them by large doorways.

Such was the general plan of the palace of Asshur-izir-pal.