TuÅ¡pa (Tushpa), the capital of the Urartians who established their state on the Eastern Anatolian High Plateau in the 9th century BC, provides invaluable material remainsâmonuments and inscriptionsâthat help us understand this ancient civilization. This book presents the results of new research conducted between 2010 and 2019, building on nearly 170 years of ongoing studies in this ancient city. Tushpa, the earliest example of a new settlement model developed by Assyria's perennial enemy, occupies a strategic position on the high plateau north of the Taurus Mountains. Through this book, you will gain insight into the settlement policies of the Urartians, who built their cities in plains surrounded by impassable mountains. These policies are reflected in their inscriptions, architectural styles, and the intricate weaving of stone walls.
Erkan Konyar focused his studies on the Early Iron Age of Eastern Anatolia, the Urartian and Iranian Iron Age. He conducted the Tušpa excavations for ten seasons from 2010 to 2019.
Bülent Genç is a scholar in the Mardin Artuklu University. He has been conducting research on the archaeology of the Near East, particularly Mesopotamia and Anatolia.
Figures Abbreviations Notes on Contributors
Introduction
1 Ṭušpa From Dream to Reality: Pilgrims, Travelers, and Early Research
âErkan Konyar and Bülent Genç
2 Ṭušpa: From the Rock Outcrop to the Capital
âKenan IÅık and Bülent Genç
3 Historical Topography of the Van Fortress
âErkan Konyar
4 The Written Documents of Ṭušpa, the Capital of Urartu
âMirjo Salvini
5 The Earliest Royal Building of the Urartian Kingdom: Sardurburç
âArmaÄan Tan
6 Ṭušpa İç Kale (Inner Citadel) and Its Structures
âCan Avcı
7 The Siršini of Ṭušpa
âBülent Genç, Kenan IÅık, ArmaÄan Tan and Hale Tümer
8 Van Fortress: Areas West of the West Ditch, New Palace?
âErkan Konyar, Can Avcı and Åemsihan Kaya
9 Buried in the Rock: The Royal Tombs of Ṭušpa
âErkan Konyar and Bülent Genç
10 The Archaeology, Description, and Possible Functions of the Monumental Memory of Ṭušpa, Analıkız
âBülent Genç
11 The Ṭušpa-Horhor Fountain
âBülent Genç, ArmaÄan Tan, Can Avcı and Rıza Gürler Akgün
12 âTâ Shaped Niches Carved in the Bedrock of Van Fortress and Surrounding Places
âRıfat Kuvanç
References Index
The inscriptions and structures of Tušpa (Tushpa), the capital of the Urartians founded in Eastern Anatolia in the 9th century BC, are evaluated with all their aspects in this book.