Urartu Castle’s Walls Unearthed After 2,700 years

Excavators work at the Urartu Castle site near Van (Source: DHA Photos)

VAN (Dogan News Agency)—After 2,700 years the walls of Urartu Castle have been unearthed in the Ayanis neighborhood of the eastern province of Van in Turkey.

Excavations at the Urartu Castle site, situated 24 miles from Van, have been ongoing for 25 years. After the discovery of the temple, this year the walls, a defining part of the castle, have been unearthed.

Some 25 years after its construction, the castle was damaged by an earthquake and fire, which was followed by the dismantlement of the adobes. The castle was later closed, head of the excavation team Dr. Mehmet Isikli said.

“Excavations at the castle have been going on for years. We have regained many important artifacts for the museum. However, 2,700 years after the construction of the castle the most enticing part of the castle, the walls, have been discovered. This made us very excited, as even though these walls witnessed great earthquakes, their architecture remained quite robust and unchanged. Also we learn so much about the history of Urartu from the walls. Lastly, even the earthquake in 2011 with a magnitude of 7.2 didn’t harm the building. The Ayanis Castle is full of surprises,” Isikli added.