The Southwestern Area
From 2004 larger excavation works were started on the South-western slope of the tall, previously only known from soundings. The situation was far from pleasant: buildings of the French garrison and especially their large pits have destroyed large parts of the Mitannian complex. It is referred to as "palace" although its function changed over time.
The Palace seems to have had an L-shaped basic form with a trapezium-shaped closure in the North-East, but the boundaries to the south and to the extreme west are not preserved. The building was accessible from the east through a large gateway in the outer wall. Over time, the original palace was frequently remodelled.
Two features characterize the palace:
The eastern part is much better built than the western part: its main features are diligently placed bricks, thick walls and orthogonal rooms.
The western part is puzzling: it is made accessible through a corridor, 55 m long, but only 3 m wide. The sole exception is the group of rooms in the north: they must have been accessible from the north, by a no longer preserved corridor.
The original "palace" of the SW-area. TH 5, fig. 83