an ancient kingdom of N Mesopotamia: it established an empire that stretched from Egypt to the Persian Gulf, reaching its greatest extent between 721 and 633 bc. Its chief cities were Assur and Nineveh
Assyria in American English
(əˈsɪriə)
ancient empire in SW Asia in the region of the upper Tigris River: at its height (7th cent. b.c.), it extended from the head of the Persian Gulf to Egypt and Asia Minor: original cap. Ashur; later cap. Nineveh