New finds suggest Urartians may have settled near Lake Urmia

Tehran: 16:16 , 2005/08/01
Mher News Agency

TEHRAN, Aug. 1 (MNA) -- Iranian archaeologists recently discovered over 50 ancient sites dating back to the Urartian era northwest of Lake Urmia which seem to confirm the theory of Urartian settlement in the region.

The discoveries, which were made near Salmas and Khoy in West Azarbaijan Province, include mounds, castles, cemeteries, and tombs, West Azarbaijan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department archaeologist Reza Heydari announced on Monday.

The sites are similar to the Urartian sites located near Lake Van in Turkey, Heydari added.

The ancient kingdom of Urartu, the biblical Ararat, flowered in the area south of the Caucasus from the ninth century to the seventh century BC.

Urartu, centered in the mountainous region around Lake Van, existed from about 1000 BC, or earlier, until 585 BC, and stretched from northern Mesopotamia through the southern Caucasus, including parts of present-day Armenia up to Lake Sevan.
[...]
Experts believe that Urartian architects played a major role in designing Iranian fortified buildings. Urartu fortresses were solid structures of stone blocks.

RM/HG

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