The Anubanini Relief: A Carving From the Dawn of History
- Mehmet Özdemir
- 23 hours ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
The Anubanini relief is one of the oldest and most remarkable rock carvings in the Kurdish region — an ancient stone relief cut into a cliff at Sarpol-e Zahab in the mountains of Kermanshah province, in Iranian Kurdistan. Carved more than four thousand years ago by a people who ruled these mountains in the dawn of recorded history, it shows a triumphant king before a goddess, with captives bound before them. A masterpiece of early art and a precious record of the deep past, the relief is among the most ancient monuments of the whole region.
A carving from the very dawn of history in the Zagros, the Anubanini relief reaches back over four millennia. This profile looks at the relief, its makers, and its meaning.
Key Takeaways
• The Anubanini relief is an ancient rock carving at Sarpol-e Zahab in Iranian Kurdistan.
• It dates back more than 4,000 years, to the dawn of recorded history.
• It was carved by the Lullubi, an early mountain people of the Zagros.
• It shows a king before a goddess, with bound captives.
• It is among the oldest monuments in the Kurdish region.
Quick Facts
Name: The Anubanini Relief
Type: Ancient rock relief
Country / Region: Iran (Rojhelat)
Location: Sarpol-e Zahab, Kermanshah province
Age: Over 4,000 years old
Makers: The Lullubi people
Shows: A king before a goddess with captives
Significance: Among the oldest reliefs of the region
Contents
Where Is the Anubanini Relief?
The Anubanini relief is carved into a rock face at Sarpol-e Zahab, a town in the mountains of Kermanshah province in western Iran, in the Kurdish country of Rojhelat near the border with Iraq. The wider region, reaching toward the city of Kermanshah and the great inscription of Bisotun, is unusually rich in ancient rock carvings, for these mountain passes carried the routes between Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau since the earliest times.
A Carving From the Dawn of History
The Anubanini relief is staggeringly old — carved around four thousand years ago or more, in the centuries when writing and the first kingdoms were still young. It is named for the king it depicts, a ruler called Anubanini, and it is among the earliest large rock reliefs known anywhere, a forerunner of the long tradition of royal cliff carvings that later kings of the region would continue for thousands of years. To stand before it is to look upon one of the very first attempts of the peoples of these mountains to record their rulers and their gods in enduring stone.
The Lullubi
The relief was made by the Lullubi, one of the ancient peoples who lived in the Zagros mountains in the dawn of recorded history, before the rise of the great later empires. Known from the records of their Mesopotamian neighbours, with whom they often clashed, the Lullubi were among the early mountain peoples of the region whose homeland lay in the highlands now part of the Kurdish lands. The Anubanini relief is the most famous monument they left behind, a proud assertion of one of their kings carved into the living rock of their mountains.
The Scene in the Stone
The carving shows the king Anubanini standing in triumph, his foot upon a fallen enemy, facing a goddess — usually identified as Ishtar — who holds a ring of authority and leads bound captives before him. The composition, with its victorious ruler, its divine figure granting power, and its rows of prisoners, set a pattern that would echo through the royal art of the region for two thousand years, most famously in the later great relief at Bisotun. The scene is a vivid statement of kingship, victory, and the favour of the gods, carved at the very beginning of such traditions.
The Relief Today
Today the Anubanini relief survives on its cliff at Sarpol-e Zahab, weathered by the ages but still legible, a destination for those drawn to the deep history of the region. It stands among other ancient carvings in the same area, making the locality a remarkable open-air museum of early rock art. As one of the oldest monuments in the Kurdish region, the Anubanini relief endures as a precious witness to the peoples who dwelt in these mountains at the very dawn of history.
Timeline
c. 2000 BC or earlier — The Lullubi king Anubanini has the relief carved at Sarpol-e Zahab.
antiquity — The scene influences the royal rock-relief tradition of the region.
later ages — Other carvings join it in the same mountain locality.
modern era — The relief is studied as one of the oldest in the region.
today — The Anubanini relief survives on its cliff as an ancient treasure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Anubanini relief?
It is an ancient rock relief at Sarpol-e Zahab in Iranian Kurdistan, carved over 4,000 years ago by the Lullubi, showing the king Anubanini before a goddess with bound captives.
Where is the Anubanini relief?
It is carved into a cliff at Sarpol-e Zahab in Kermanshah province in western Iran, in the Kurdish region of Rojhelat near the Iraqi border.
Who made the Anubanini relief?
It was made by the Lullubi, an ancient mountain people of the Zagros known from early Mesopotamian records, for their king Anubanini.
Why is the relief important?
It is among the oldest large rock reliefs known, and its scene of a victorious king before a goddess set a pattern followed in the region’s royal art for two thousand years.
Related People, Places, and Topics
The Lullubi · ancient rock reliefs · the Zagros peoples · Sarpol-e Zahab · Kermanshah · Bisotun.
References and Further Reading
Comments