Ayanis
| Ayanis | |
|---|---|
| Rusahinili Eidurukai ("The City of Rusa in front of Mount Eiduru") | |
| Ayanis Kalesi, Ağartı Kalesi | |
 Inscription of the fortress of Ayanis | |
  Location of Ayanis in Turkey | |
| 38°42′30″N 43°12′41″E / 38.7083055466°N 43.2113185884°E[1] | |
| Type | fortress, temple, outer city |
| Cultures | Urartu |
| Location | Van, Turkey |
| History | |
| Built | 673-72 BC |
| Built by | Rusa II |
| Site notes | |
| Area | 80 ha (200 acres), thereof the fortress ca. 150 x 400 meters[2] |
| Excavation dates | 1989-today |
| Public access | No |
Ayanis (Turkish: Ayanis Kalesi) is an Urartian archaeological site close to lake Van, Turkey. It was originally built as a fortress by Urartian king Rusa II and named after him Rusahinili Eidurukai ("The City of Rusa in front of Mount Eiduru"). The site was occupied during the Iron Age II period and then again in the Middle Ages between the tenth and eleventh century.
History
[edit]Ayanis was the last fortress built by Urartian king Rusa II around 673/72 BC. It was then known under the name Rusahinili Eidurukai ("The City of Rusa in front of Mount Eiduru") according to an inscription found in front of the monumental gate (Mount Eiduru can be identified with the nearby Mount Süphan).[3]
Between 653 and 650 BC, an earthquake destroyed the fortress and the outer town, with additional destruction caused by the fires from the furnaces within the settlement.[4]
The site was again occupied during the Middle Ages between the tenth and eleventh centuries CE.[2]
Archaeology
[edit]
Exploration of the site started in 1989 after which excavations started.[2] Parts of the temple area are supposed to be made available to visitors under the "Heritage for the Future" project.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Christiansen, B. "Places: 722596019 (Ayanis)". Pleiades. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ a b c Çilingiroğlu 2012, p. 1057.
- ^ Çilingiroğlu 2016, p. 17.
- ^ Çilingiroğlu 2018, p. 15.
- ^ "Urartu's sealed fortress Ayanis reveals treasures after 38 years of excavation". Türkiye Today. Ihlas Media Group. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
Bibliography
[edit]- Çilingiroğlu, Altan (2012). "Ayanis: An Iron Age Site in the East". In Steadman, Sharon R.; McMahon, Gregory (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia. Oxford University Press. pp. 1057–1068. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- Çilingiroğlu, Altan (2016). "Did Weapons Dedicated to the Urartian God of Haldi Help to Save the Ayanis Fortress?". In Egg, Markus; Naso, Alessandro; Rollinger, Robert (eds.). Waffen für die Götter - Waffenweihung in Archäologie und Geschichte. Mainz: Verlag des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- Çilingiroğlu, Altan (1 January 2018). "Ayanis Fortress:The Day After the Disaster". URARTIANS: A CIVILIZATION IN THE EASTERN ANATOLIA.Symposium I:The Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium held at İstanbul in 13–15 October 2014.Rezan Has Museum.: 14–26. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- Çilingiroğlu, Altan (2019). "Ayanis Fortress: only a Military Fortress or More?". Over the Mountains and Far Away: Studies in Near Eastern history and archaeology presented to Mirjo Salvini on the occasion of his 80th birthday: 120–133. doi:10.2307/J.CTVNDV9F0.18. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
