Ninawa (Arabic: نینوى‎; ; Aramaic: ܢܝܢܘܐ, Nīnwē) is a governorate (province) in northern Iraq, and the Arabic name for the biblical city of Nineveh in Assyria. It has an area of and an estimated population of 2,453,000 people in 2003. Its chief city and the provincial capital is Mosul, which lies across the Tigris river from the ruins of ancient Nineveh. Tal Afar is also a greater city within the region. Prior to 1976 it was called Mosul Province and also included the present-day Dahuk Governorate