Ashur was the Assyrian god often represented as a winged disc.
Ashur was the national god and chief deity of ancient Assyria. His name was also associated with the city of Assur, the original center of Assyrian power. As Assyria expanded, Ashur became closely linked with royal authority, military victory, and the empire’s political identity.
In Assyrian art, Ashur commonly appears as a divine figure inside or emerging from a winged solar disc, often drawing a bow. The image appears over kings, sacred trees, battles, and ceremonial scenes. It expressed divine protection and the god’s authority over the Assyrian king and state.
The winged disc can cause confusion because related solar imagery was also associated with Shamash, the Mesopotamian sun god. Scholars sometimes debate the identity of particular surviving images, especially when inscriptions are absent. Nevertheless, Ashur is the standard answer when a quiz asks for the Assyrian national deity represented in the winged disc. Marduk, Nabu, and Shamash had different primary identities and symbols.