Kingdom of Urartu
Kingdom of Urartu māt Urarṭu (Assyrian) Urashtu (Babylonian) אֲרָרָט, Ararat (Hebrew) | |
|---|---|
| 860 BC–590 BC | |
| Urartu during Sarduri II, 743 BC Urartu during Sarduri II, 743 BC | |
| Capital |
|
| 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, Babylonian: Urashtu, 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.[1] During the seventh century, the Urartians collaborated with a combination of Scythians and Cimmerians 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.[2]
Urartu and Armenians[change]
Armenians are the heirs of the Urartians.[3] A. E. Redgate says that the Urartians are the "most easily identifiable" ancestors of the Armenians.[4] Philip D. Curtin defined the Kingdom of Urartu as an Armenian kingdom.[5]
Maps[change]
| Map | Year |
|---|---|
| File:Urartu 860 840-en.svg | 860–840 BC |
| File:Urartu 820 785-en.svg | 820–785 BC |
| File:Urartu 785 753-en.svg | 785–753 BC |
| File:Urartu 743 735-en.svg | 745–735 BC |
| File:Urartu 743-en.svg | 743 BC |
| File:Urartu 735 715-en.svg | 735–715 BC |
| File:Urartu 713 680-en.svg | 713–680 BC |
| File:Urartu 680 610-en.svg | 680–610 BC |
| File:Urartu 610 585-en.svg | 610–585 BC |
References[change]
- ↑ Kleiss 2008.
- ↑ Jacobson 1995, p. 33.
- ↑ Frye 1984, p. 73.
- ↑ Redgate 2000, p. 5.
- ↑ Curtin 1984, p. 185.
Sources[change]
- 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.