Verified39.1300° N · 41.6000° E · 1600 m
Kayalidere — Urartian Mountain Fortress
Urartian (733–713 BCE Tiglath-Pileser tributary)·Urartian·🇹🇷 Muş Province, Turkey
About
About Kayalidere — Urartian Mountain Fortress
Kayalidere — Urartian Mountain Fortress in Muş Province, Turkey is a Urartian (733–713 BCE Tiglath-Pileser tributary) fortress attributed to Urartian. Rock-top Urartian fortress 300 m long with rock-cut tombs and cisterns at Kayalidere gorge. Burney Kayalidere Urartian rock fortress with temple cut and cuneiform.
Why it mattersKey Urartian hill site illustrating Anatolian settlement
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Hellenistic urbanism
- 02Lycian federation cult
Theories
- 01Mountain defensive settlement
- 02Sanctuary federation
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 733 BCE
- Period
- Urartian (733–713 BCE Tiglath-Pileser tributary)
- Culture
- Urartian
- Purpose
- Rock-top Urartian fortress 300 m long with rock-cut tombs and cisterns at Kayalidere gorge
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 733 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1900 CE
Systematic survey
On the ground
Structures & features
39.1300° N · 41.6000° E · 1600 m · 4 mapped features
- Kayalidere — Urartian Mountain Fortress — Hilltop CitadelcitadelHilltop fortified citadel39.1301° N · 41.6001° E
- Kayalidere — Urartian Mountain Fortress — Lower Fort WallswallsLower fortification circuit39.1298° N · 41.6001° E
- Kayalidere — Urartian Mountain Fortress — Cistern TowercisternWater cistern and tower39.1304° N · 41.5998° E
- Kayalidere — Urartian Mountain Fortress — Secondary EnclosureenclosureWalled secondary area39.1296° N · 41.5999° E