The Kingdom of Urartu

Abstract

Abstract The kingdom of Urartu (biblical Ararat) is known as Biainili in the local cuneiform sources. This influential state was formed in the ninth century bc and flourished until the seventh century bc in the mountainous territories stretching eastward from the Euphrates river, with the heartland located between Lakes Van, Sevan, and Urmia in eastern Turkey, Armenia, and northwestern Iran. The Urartian state succeeded in unifying vast territories across a rugged landscape of high plains separated by formidable mountain ranges and played an important role in the wider region. For a time, the spread of its political influence toward central Anatolia, northern Syria, and western Iran provided a counterweight to the Assyrian Empire. This chapter covers the history of Urartu from its formation to its violent end and examines the state’s structure; its administrative, economic, and military organization; and the state pantheon, as well as issues of chronology and ethnicity.