Van Castle Van Castle is a historic fortress erected by the Urartian kingdom during the period between the 9th and 7th centuries BC. Situated atop a steep cliff overlooking Tushpa, the ancient capital of Urartu, this remarkable stone fortress is among several defensive structures built by the Urartians in the area where present-day Armenia, Turkey, and Iran converge. Throughout its long history, the fortress has been controlled by numerous civilizations, including the Greeks, Persians, Arabs, Seljuks, Ottomans, and later the Russians. Van Castle was built using a mix of materials: basalt stones form the foundation and lower parts, while mud bricks were used for the upper walls. A remarkable feature of the fortress is the royal stable carved into the rock, measuring approximately 20 meters long, 9 meters wide, and 2.5 meters high. This chamber is thought to have served for ritual offerings to the Urartian deities, reflecting the rich spiritual and cultural traditions of the Urartian civilization. An important historical artifact at the site is an inscription from the 5th century BC attributed to Xerxes the Great. Situated on a smoothed rock surface roughly 20 meters above ground level, the inscription was originally carved by King Darius, who left it blank. Later, Xerxes completed it with a trilingual text in Old Persian, Babylonian, and Elamite. The inscription, composed of three columns and 27 lines, remains in excellent condition. Due to its historical and cultural importance, the Old City of Van and Van Fortress were included in the UNESCO Tentative List in 2016. If you have any questions or inquiries about Van Castle, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us via Whatsapp, and we will reply promptly.