Palace Courtyard

View of the the courtyard, entrance, and east wing of the Level IV Palace that was excavated by Sir Leonard Woolley.  It was in use from 1500–1400 B.C.

The courtyard of the palace is in the center of the image and is outlined by a small rope fence.

Beyond it, is the staircase and the two column bases that led to the "porch" of the palace.

On the right, is the east wing of the palace.  In one of the east rooms of the palace, Woolley found a large cuneiform archive.  In a more recent version of the palace, he found the statue of Idrimi who ruled from this Level IV Palace.

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This palace is one of the earliest examples of the "bit hilanni" style that became common in the Levant for over a thousand years.  This style was also used in Israel — at Megiddo and possibly Solomon's Palace in Jerusalem as described in 1 Kings 7.  See Ussishkin, David. “King Solomon's Palaces.” Biblical Archaeologist 36 (1973): 78–105.