Metsopay-Vank (A 5-83) The inscribed stele was seen and copied by W. Belck in 1891 in the now-vanished Armenian monastery of Metsopay-Vank / Astvadzašin, about 32 km east of Patnos. The round-topped stele, which had a round hole, was walled into the upper threshold of the church door. It disappeared along with the church and … Read more
Bulutpınar (A 11-8) The basalt stele was found in 2007 in the village of Bulutpınar (old Cemalverdi), located about 25 km northwest of Patnos. According to locals, the stele was found at and brought from a ruined Armenian cemetery. It originally had a cross carved on the blank top part, which was broken after its … Read more
Aznavurtepe (A 2-10) The cylindrical stone, likely a column base, was found in a secondary context in a church in Patnos. It most likely originated from the Urartian fortress Aznavurtepe located about 2 km northwest of the town. The block is 43 cm in height and has a diameter of 75 cm. It bears a … 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
