This Mural was created for the Happiness and Tolerance Initiative at Zayed University for the United Arab Emirates by Artist Alina Gallo, and sponsored by the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises and the office of Happiness and Tolerance.

Nimrud is a large-scale hand painted rendering of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq, which was severely damaged and looted by extremists in 2015. The work is a composite of images, archeological drawings and video stills of the site itself in various conditions - from colonial excavation to destruction- as well the portions of the archeological site located in museums around the world, including the National Museum of Iraq, the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum.

This mural resonates with the United Arab Emirates' commitment to cultivate in their young people and society at large respect for diversity, ideological openness, and acceptance of others’ viewpoints- whether of civilizations past, present, or those to come. Nimrud aspires to create interest and dialog about the value of diversity, inclusion and stewardship of art and cultural heritage, including archeological objects and sites in the region. This mural is created with classical egg tempera paint prepared by hand, a painting technique and application that offers a contemporary approach to a traditional medium.

Alina Gallo is an artist living in Rome, Italy whose large scale installation paintings and contemporary miniatures have chronicled key Middle East and North Africa region events since 2012. She has followed her project to live in Dubai, Istanbul and now Rome. Alina brings to her work a research background in Abbasid, Timurid, Safavid and Ottoman miniature painting in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum Department of Islamic Arts archives in New York, the Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul.