Colossal basalt lion of Ain-Dara

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This enormous basalt lion statue was unearthed near Aleppo, Syria, at the Ain-Dara Temple, dating back to the 10th - 8th Century BC. The discovery of the Ain-Dara temple was a direct result of finding this massive lion in 1855. Excavations were conducted by Maurice Dunand and Feisal Seirafi soon after in 1956, 1962, and 1964. The Ein-Dara temple, situated near the village of Ain Dara, in Agrin, Rojava, is a notable Iron Age Syro-Hittite temple characterized by its striking similarities to Solomon's Temple (also known as the First Temple). In late January 2018, Turkish Air Force jets caused significant damage to the temple during their Afrin offensive. Reports confirm that at least 60% of the structure was reduced to rubble. Further reading can be found on Wikipedia.