Page "Nabonidus" Paragraph 12

It is not clear yet why Nabonidus stayed in Tayma for so long.

His reason for going there seems clear: Tayma was an important oasis, from where lucrative Arabian trade routes could be controlled.

The Assyrians before him had already attempted to do the same.

However, why Nabonidus stayed for so long ( probably about ten years, perhaps from 553-543 BC ) and why he returned when he did remain unresolved questions.

It has been proposed that this was because he did not feel at home in Babylon, which was opposed to his emphasis on Sîn.

Regarding his return, this may have had to do with the mounting threat of Cyrus and growing disagreements with Belshazzar, who was relieved of his command directly after Nabonidus had come back, along with a number of administrators.

During his stay, Nabonidus adorned Tayma with a complex of royal buildings, most of which have come to light during recent excavations.