The kingdom of Urartu

European Museums, The British Museum

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The kingdom of Urartu

Urartu is the ancient name for the mountainous area of north-western Iran, modern Armenia and eastern Turkey, which contains Mount Ararat. It emerged as a unified kingdom and a threat to Assyria in the 9th century B.C. The capital was Tushpa (modern Van), on the shore of Lake Van.

At its strongest Urartu may have reached from Georgia to the sources of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. Impressive fortresses guarded mountain passes into the kingdom. The Urartians wrote in the cuneiform script of the Assyrians, but their hieroglyphic writing remains undeciphered.

In the later 7th century B.C. Urartu grew weaker and suffered invasions from the east. The area was eventually ruled by the kingdom of Armenia.

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The kingdom of Urartu

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Source:  London, United Kingdom