Urartian Monuments➥ Palu Inscription It is a Urartian fortress built on a hill approximately 2 km west of the Palu district center. To the south, the Murat River curves around the hill like a crescent and extends eastward. The north and west sides of the hill consist of steep and rugged cliffs that provided natural defensive … Read more
➥ Kef Kalesi Inscriptions Kef Kalesi (Kef Fortress) was established on a hill 2,200 meters high, located behind the town of Adilcevaz, on the northern shore of Lake Van. It stands on the southwestern slopes of Mount Süphan, which was considered sacred by the Urartians. The fortress is about 550 meters above the shore, overlooks … Read more
➥ Aznavurtepe and Patnos Inscriptions Aznavurtepe is a Urartian fortress located in the northeast of the fertile Patnos Plain, about 50 km north of Lake Van. It was establised on top of a hill about 200 meters above the plain, around 2 km north of the Patnos town center. It is thought that the name … Read more
➥ Minua Canal Inscriptions It is a water canal approximately 50 kilometers long, built by Urartian King Minua at the end of the 9th century BCE with the aim of bringing water to the Urartian capital Tuspa. The Urartians constructed many dams, ponds, and water canals for agricultural purposes. Many of these are still in … Read more
➥ Hazine Piri Inscription Hazine Piri Kapısı (Hazine Piri Gate) is a rock niche situated to the south of the village of Elmalık (formerly called Zivistan), 11 kilometers southeast of Van city center as the crow flies, along the Edremit road. Due to local legends claiming that a treasure is hidden behind it, the local … Read more
➥ Körzüt Inscriptions Körzüt Kale (Körzüt Fortress) is located approximately 60 km north of the city center of Van, south of the Muradiye Plain. The name Körzüt derives from “Korsot,” the former name of the nearby village of Uluşar. It is one of the fortress settlements built by Urartian King Minua (810–785 BCE). It was … Read more
➥ Toprakkale Inscriptions It is located approximately 5 kilometers east of Tušpa (Van Fortress). The site was established on a hill at the foothills of Mount Zimzim, in the northeastern part of the Van Plain. Inscriptions discovered at the site indicate that the city’s name was Rusahinili Qibani-kai (“Rusahinili in front of Mount Erek”). The … Read more
Sardursburg (A 1-1A–F) Six identical inscriptions written in the Assyrian language date to the reign of Sarduri I, making them the earliest dated inscriptions of the Urartian Kingdom. They are carved into the walls of the so-called Sardursburg (locally known as Sardur Burcu or Madır Burcu), which was likely a pier structure situated at the … Read more
Stele from Surp Pogos Church (A 3-4) The stele was formerly inserted into the wall of the Armenian church of Surb Pogos in Van, but its current whereabouts are unknown. The same text is inscribed twice on the front and back, the beginning of which has been lost at the broken top section. The first … Read more
