q , ▁and ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁oldest ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁The ▁cit adel ▁stands ▁on ▁an ▁artificial ▁m ound ▁ 1 3 0 ▁feet ▁high ▁located ▁on ▁a ▁plate au ▁across ▁the ▁K has a ▁River . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁m ound , ▁or ▁tell ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁by ▁King ▁Ash urn as ir pal ▁II ▁between ▁ 8 8 4 ▁and ▁ 8 5 8 ▁B CE ▁as ▁a ▁military ▁defence ▁line ▁of ▁Ar raph a . ▁Other ▁histor ians ▁believe ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁Gut ians . ▁By ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago , ▁the ▁Ak ad ian / Ass y rian ▁called ▁it ▁the ▁Castle ▁of ▁Sh il w ases ▁because ▁the ▁r uler ▁was ▁the ▁Hur rian ▁King ▁Sh il wa ▁T esh ub . ▁ ▁Later ▁King ▁Sele uc us ▁I ▁Nic ator ▁built ▁a ▁strong ▁r amp art ▁with ▁ 7 2 ▁to wers ▁around ▁the ▁ 7 2 ▁streets ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁entries ▁to ▁the ▁cit adel . ▁A ▁j ew el ▁of ▁the ▁cit adel ▁is ▁the ▁so - called ▁" Red ▁Church ", ▁with ▁traces ▁of ▁m osa ics ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁period ▁before ▁the ▁Islam ic ▁con quest ▁of ▁Ira q ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁Tim ur ▁visited ▁the ▁cit adel ▁in ▁ 1 3 9 3 ▁during ▁his ▁military ▁expedition . ▁The ▁modern ▁walls ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁period .