Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II reigned from 883-859 BCE and built a new capital at Nimrud; south of Nineveh on the river Tigris. In ancient times; the city was called Kal?u. The Arabs called the city Nimrud after the Biblical Nimrod; a legendary hunting hero. The city covered an area of around 16 square miles. Ruins of the city are found in modern day Iraq; some 30 km southeast of Mosul.