Tushpa

Tushpa was the ancient capital of the Urartian kingdom, located at the site of the modern city of Van in eastern Turkey, on the eastern shore of Lake Van. It served as the political and religious center of Urartu from the 9th to the 6th centuries BCE, and is one of the best-attested urban centers of the kingdom.

The city occupied a hilltop fortress that controlled important routes around Lake Van. The core of Tushpa consisted of a royal residence, palaces, temples, and defensive walls built and expanded during Urartian rule. Inscriptions and remains from the site attest to the urban and administrative functions of the capital, with evidence tied to rulers such as Sarduri II and Argishti I. The name Tushpa appears in Urartian inscriptions, linking the site to the royal seat of the kingdom.

Following a period of decline in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, Urartu collapsed due to external pressures and internal upheavals. The fortress and its surroundings were gradually abandoned, and the modern city of Van grew in the vicinity over subsequent centuries. Today, the ruins at Tushpa provide crucial archaeological insight into Urartian statehood, architecture, and hydraulic and urban planning.

Archaeological investigations have revealed extensive fortifications, towers, royal and religious structures, and inscriptions in the Urartian language written in cuneiform script. Tushpa is a central source for understanding Urartu’s political organization and material culture, and it is frequently discussed in the context of the region’s broader historical development, including its connections to later Armenian historiography and eastern Anatolian civilizations.