Excavations at the Mound of Van Fortress - 2011

Van Fortress or Tuspa was the capital city of the Urartians, the founders of the Urartian Kingdom centered in the Lake Van Basin between the ninth and the sixth centuries BC. It rises on the eastern shore of Lake Van on a conglomerate rocky outcrop, measuring approximately 1250 m in length and 70-80 m in width (Fig. 1). Every corner of this outcrop was utilized by the Urartian architects. Here the royal rock tombs, monumental open air sanctuaries, palaces and other architectural remains are the major features that immediately attract attention. Inscriptions, cuneiform stelae and other impressive monuments cement Tuspa’s importance as the Urartian capital. It is possible to trace the material remains of 200 years of Urartian domination in, and the cultural and historical chronology of the lower settlement layers, i.e. the mound of Van fortress, which spread throughout the fortress and its surroundings.