Some New Clues from the Ancient Land of Niššāya and its Related Toponyms

New evidence links the ancient land of Niššāya, known for horse breeding during the Neo-Assyrian period, to the modern Nahavand Plain in Hamadan Province. The study, based on Assyrian and Achaemenid inscriptions—including Darius I's Bisotun inscription—and classical historical accounts, identifies Niššāya/Irnisa (Neo-Assyrian), Nisāya (Achaemenid), and the Nesaean region mentioned by Herodotus and Strabo as one geographical entity. It also proposes locations for related toponyms Ṣibur/Ṣibar and Urimzan/Urenzan within Nahavand County, supported by archaeological and textual analysis. This challenges previous assumptions about Niššāya's significance in equine culture.

Rezaei, I. (2026). Some New Clues from the Ancient Land of Niššāya and its Related Toponyms. State Archives of Assyria Bulletin, 31(State Archives of Assyria Bulletin, V. 31 (2025), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.13136/1120-4699/31/025