Kingdom of Urartu

Kingdom of Urartu Biainili 𒆳𒁉𒀀𒄿𒉌𒇷 (Urartian) Armina 𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴 (Old Persian) māt Urarṭu 𒌑𒊏𒅈𒂅(Assyrian) Urashtu 𒌑𒊏𒀸𒌅(Babylonian) אֲרָרָט, Ararat (Hebrew)
860 BC–590 BC
Urartu during Sarduri II, 743 BC
Capital	Sugunia Arzashkun Tushpa (after 832 BC)
Common languages	Urartian Proto-Armenian
Religion	Urartian polytheism
Government	Monarchy
King
• 858–844	Arame (first)
• 590–585	Rusa IV (last)
History
• Established	860 BC
• Median conquest	590 BC

Kingdom of Urartu (Assyrian: māt Urarṭu  Ú-ra-ar-ṭu: 𒌑𒊏𒅈𒂅, Babylonian: Urashtu ú-ra-aš-tu: 𒌑𒊏𒀸𒌅, Hebrew: אֲרָרָט, romanized: Ararat), was an Iron Age kingdom. Territory of the ancient Kingdom of Urartu extended over the modern frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and the Republic of Armenia. Its center was the Armenian highland between Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan. They wrote their language in cuneiform script.

During the seventh century BC, the Urartians collaborated with a combination of Scythians and Cimmerians in their jockeying for power, but by 590 BC, having been weakened in the constant rivalry between Assyrians, Babylonians, Scythians, and Medes, Urartu was swallowed by the Medes.

Armenians are the heirs of the Urartians. A. E. Redgate says that the Urartians are the "most easily identifiable" ancestors of the Armenians. Philip D. Curtin defined the Kingdom of Urartu as an Armenian kingdom.

Maps

Map	Year
	860–840 BC
	820–785 BC
	785–753 BC
	745–735 BC
	743 BC
	735–715 BC
	713–680 BC
	680–610 BC
	610–585 BC

References

Sources

• Kleiss, Wolfram (2008). "URARTU IN IRAN". Encyclopædia Iranica. The territory of the ancient kingdom of Urartu extended over the modern frontiers of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and the Republic of Armenia. Its center was the Armenian highland between Lake Van, Lake Urmia, and Lake Sevan.
• Jacobson, Esther (1995). The Art of the Scythians: The Interpenetration of Cultures at the Edge of the Hellenic World. BRILL. p. 33. ISBN 90-04-09856-9. During the seventh century, the Urartians collaborated with a combination of Scythians and Cimmerians¹² in their jockeying for power, but by 590, having been weakened in the constant rivalry between Assyrians, Babylonians, Scythians, and Medes, Urartu was swallowed by the Medes.
• Frye, Richard N (1984). The History of Ancient Iran. Munich: C.H. Beck. pp. 73. ISBN 978-3406093975. The real heirs of the Urartians, however, were neither the Scythians nor Medes but the Armenians.
• Redgate, A. E (2000). The Armenians. Oxford: Blackwell. pp. 5. ISBN 978-0631220374. However, the most easily identifiable ancestors of the later Armenian nation are the Urartians.
• Curtin, Philip D. (1984). Cross-Cultural Trade in World History. Cambridge University Press. pp. 185. ISBN 978-0-521-26931-5. At least three times in history, Armenians rose to unusual territorial power. The first was in the ninth to the sixth century B.C., where the Armenian kingdom of Urartu was an important stopping point for trade between Asia and the Mediterranean world.