Kingdom of Urartu
KINGDOM OF URARTU (9th century BCE – 6th century BCE)
The name Urartu was mentioned for the first time in an inscription where the Assyrian King Shalmaneser I described his military expeditions to the Van region in 1274 BCE. The Urartians first established a state in the vicinity of Lake Van in the 9th century BCE. This political structure managed to survive for about 250 years.
Urartian Palace Ware, Clover Mouth Jug, Terracotta,
IMPORTANT CITY CENTERS IN THE KINGDOM OF URARTU
The most influential cities were Arzaşkun (Erciş), Tuşpa (Van), Toprakkale (Rusahinili Qilbani-kai), Sardurihinili (Çavuştepe) and Ayanis (Rusahinili Eiduru-kai). The last capital of the Urartu Kingdom was Tuşpa (Van). Their most prominent God was Ḫaldi (God of War). In addition to this, Teišeba (God of Storm) and Shivini (God of Sun) were also important Gods. Their major temples can be seen in Altıntepe (Üzümlü, Erzincan), Ayanis (Ağartı, Van), Çavuştepe (Gürpınar, Van), Anzaf (Dereüstü Village, Van) and Kayalıdere (Varto, Muş).
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