Urartian temple

The following Presentation Article titled “Lake Sevan Underwater City – Pre-Neolithic (Telosolithic) Mystery or Missing Link of Historical Past” is based on materials presented at 10-th international Symposium on Underwater Research “Black Sea Archaeology” held at Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey on December 16, 2016. It is dedicated to sensational underwater finding deep beneath the water surface of lake Sevan, one of the largest lakes of Asia Minor (Anatolia) and the biggest lake in the Republic of Armenia. The team of underwater archaeologists of “Ayas” maritime club led by Rafayel Mkrtchyan accidentally found an underwater city at the bottom of lake Sevan, the clear indication that the mysterious Proto-historic settlement existed long time ago, i.e. before the time of origination of lake Sevan due to cataclysmic flooding, as a result of “Eternal Ice” melting that covered the earthly surface during the Ice Age period. The article itself consists from three parts – 1. Part I (Pre-Article), 2. Part II (Core Article), and, Part III (Post-Article – Conclusion and Hypothesis). In Part I (Pre-Article) – Systematical Review of Various Historical-Archaeological, Ethnographical and Linguistical Data Sources for Making the Comprehensive Overview on the Subject of Research of Lake Sevan’s Historical Past, the basic introduction to lake Sevan area and general information about lake Sevan is given – the location of the lake, its overall altitude, size, surface area, length, widths and depth. The description of nearby tributary rivers and adjacent water basins is provided, along with the description of main mountain ranges surrounding the lake. The big importance of lake Sevan as precious sources of drinking water is emphasized, according to data of UNESCO organization. Then the essential information about fishes, flora and fauna of Sevan basin is furnished, along with important data about Sevan as one of the best touristic destinations for rest, recreational and cultural activities. Next segment of Pre-Article is elucidating the details about the beginning of lake Sevan origination, its formation in the Late Quaternary period, some 20,000 to 15,000 years ago, active stage of its forming at the time when the Pleistocene or Last Glacial Period ended around 11,700 years ago and final period of lake Sevan’s creation in the Holocene Period that happened around 9,700 BC. Then the lake Sevan area is reviewed in historical-archaeological context, and the survey of ancient archaeological sites and monuments is provided, along with historical-linguistical analyses of their names’ origination in distant historical past. The major significance of ancient Lchashen city as the ancient center of mysterious ZU/ZULUM/ZULAL mythological bird that created Mankind, World and Universe is described. The translation of various ancient written sources is cited, including Urartian cuneiform inscriptions about lake Sevan conquest and its kingdoms and cities. Then the history of lake Sevan is investigated in historical-etymological context of various historical periods, words, expressions and etymologies of Sumerian, Hittite, Hurrian, Urartian, Assyrian, Latin, Armenian and other linguistic origin are carefully examined. Then, based on an historical-linguistical analyses of settlements, sites, villages and cities around lake Sevan, studied one after another in counter-clockwise direction the intriguing and breathtaking mythological story of lake Sevan birth is restored and revealed. After that the folklore stories and fairy tales of Sevan are put in review, including the remarkable Tsamakaberd village folk story about Good and Evil forces that dwell since prehistoric times in waters of lake Sevan. The given research continues with mythological analyses of deities related to folk stories, as well as various ancient accounts and literary sources about Deluge are brought to light. The historical facts of lake Sevan’s origination as the Real Deluge Event is given, based on eyewitnesses of the past, various archeological, historical, linguistic, mythological data, actual facts and factual parallels. Various historical written sources since the beginning of civilization till our modernity are provided, testifying the Realness of Flood or Great Deluge and its direct connection with lake Sevan Origination and ZUL Pre-Neolithic or Telosolithic city’s drowning and destruction by tidal waves of flooding catastrophe. In Part II (Core Article) – The Discovery of underwater ZUL city of lake Sevan – circumstances, activities, analyses, methodologies, observations, photo materials and objects of research,  the general information about “Ayas” maritime club is told, along with introduction to my close friend and colleague, captain of various ships, excellently skilled diver and experienced underwater archaeologist Rafayel Mkrtchyan. The remarkable story of finding of prehistoric Caucasian Bison’s remains, and the sensational and historically important discovery of Pre-Neolithic city that existed in Proto-Historical Times, before lake Sevan origination due to Deluge or Cataclysmic Flooding, i.e. before 12,000 year ago or 10,000 BC. The phenomenal proof of the existence of Proto-Historical societies with the evidence of extensive human activities in building very First Civilized forms of Existence is brought to light. Various stunning parallels of worshipped animals and creatures, artistic styles and mythological meanings with artifacts and architectural and artistic fragments of another Anatolian Proto-Historic settlement of Göbekli Tepe settlement are shown. The archeological-historical and religious-mythological affinities between Sevan underwater city and Göbekli Tepe civilizational traits, despite the significant distance of more than 1000 km, are serving as a scientific platform on newer approaches to the overall research of Earliest Civilizations’ Origin research. The detailed description of outstanding discovery of underwater city is revealed along with methodical explaining of the photographic material about the archaeological-historical ruins, erections, monuments, sculptural fragments, carvings, frescoes and pictures and their religious, worshipping, ritual, sacral and mythological context. Finally, in Part III (Post-Article – Conclusion and Hypothesis) – Great Flood or Deluge as the End of Proto-Civilization (Original Genesis of Civilization) and Beginning of Civilization, the fact that the very existence of territorially vast and culturally rich Anatolian Proto-Civilization is put at the center of research theme, with the major emphasis on the urgent need to focus archeological, historical, linguistical and mythological data research on thoughtful and meticulous elucidation of very interesting historical timeframe – the period between end of Last Stone Age or Telosolith (happened from 18,000 to 12,000 years ago or from 16,000 BC to 12,000 BC) and the beginning of Neolith – the first appropriation of civilized attributes, including the very beginning of metal usage by humans, beginning of wheel transportation, architecture and urban development, writing, art, mythology and religion. The definition of LIC (Land Isolate Communities) during Ice Age or Cold Age Periods as Sanctuary Places of Telosolithic Communities is given. The social, cultural and religious significance of Telosolithic Intellectual Revolutions is thoroughly explained, along with the various aspects of the life of Telosolithic people. Modernity. The historical components of ICE AGE or COLD AGE, GREAT FLOOD or DELUGE and POST-DELLUVIAL PERIOD are unfolded, with unconditional Timely Division of Mankind’s History on BEFORE and AFTER DELUGE. Mankind’s main four historical Time Span Definitions are given: 1. ICE AGE or COLD AGE Period; 2. PRE-NEOLITHIC or TELOSOLITHIC Period; 3. DELUGE or GREAT FLOOD Period; 4. POST-DELUGE or NEOLITHIC Period. The historical roles and significances of Telosolith versus Neolith is given – while, TELOSOLITH INAUGURATED A REVOLUTION IN HUMAN HISTORY, in its turn, NEOLITH MARKED THE BEGINNING OF EVOLUTION IN HUMAN HISTORY. 
  Appreciating the outstanding manifestations of Telosolithic Culture, Religion and Mythology, as well as the overwhelming significance of Telosolithic Revolutions, marking it as the DAWN OF MANKIND or PRE-ORIGINATION OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION provided. Also, name of PROTO-CIVILIZATION is provided, since Telosolithic Period provided all necessary Pre-Conditions before Conditions for certain Human Innovations, according to innovative principles of Revolutionary Innovativeness, as its preceded main law-governing principles of Evolutionary Development. Telosolith is the Measuring Time Span for Timescale of Evolutionary Development of Ingenious Human Inventions and Innovations, for each and every Human Invention and Innovation following to four Core Principles: 1. Discovery; 2. Initial Utilization; 3. Limited Use; 4. Widespread or Worldwide Usage. Telosolithic Civilization also can be remembered as CIVILIZATION OF PERMANENCE and PERMANENT SOCIAL-CULTURAL VALUES, NEVER CEASING TO EXIST FROM ITS VERY BEGINNING TO VERY END. Broad perspectives of further scientific investigation of lake Sevan’s ZUL underwater city are outlined, along with possibilities of exploring the Historical Period of Telosolith in Armenia, Asia Minor (Anatolia), Near East and Caucasus. The article is very illustrative with color photos of various relevant historical artifacts and wonderful findings of Sevan underwater city, something that will not only visually contribute to the unfolding of the story this most interesting and intriguing discovery, but also will spark the passionate scientific interest to the overall research of the most mysterious and unexplored period in the history of Mankind – the Dawn of Mankind, Appearance of Proto-Civilization and Birth of Global Civilization.

Due to its climatic and geological structure, Uratian, which has a very difficult geographical grandeur and institutional identity, has made important contributions to the Anatolian civilizations and has been in history. In this study, the development of the technical features used in the direction of static concerns with the main lines in Urartian architecture and the technical and static characteristics of the Ayanis tower architecture have been tried to be determined.
Ayanis Castle has an important place for the world of archeology. This significance attributed to Ayanis is due to the fact that the architectural and aesthetic understanding that has grown with the Rusa II, as well as the largely preserved architecture, has been presented with all its glory. The techniques used in Ayanis Castle architecture provide us with very important data about Urartian architecture in terms of land use and also in terms of static. In our work, we tried to present the techniques applied with statical anxiety in the architecture of the fortress of Ayanis, the architecture of the temple and the architecture of the east-facing hall.

MÖ 9 - 6. yüzyıllar arasında çekirdeğini Van Gölü ve çevresinin oluşturduğu Urartu Krallığı, batıda Fırat Nehri’nden doğuda İran Azerbaycan’ına, kuzeyde Gökçe Göl ile Aras vadisinden güneyde Toroslar ve Urmiye Gölü’nün güneyine kadar uzanan geniş bir coğrafyaya egemen olmuştur. İlk kez Assur yazılı kaynaklarında karşımıza çıkan, doğuya doğru gidildikçe yükseltilerin arttığı oldukça engebeli bir bölgede kurulan Urartu Krallığı MÖ I. binde Ön Asya’da kurulmuş en güçlü devletlerden birisidir. Sahip olduğu bu coğrafi yapı uzun süre varlığını sürdürmesini sağlamıştır ve yine çağdaşı olduğu diğer devletlere karşı kimi zaman
güçlü bir savunma ve kimi zaman da üstünlük kurmasına imkân sağlamıştır. Çalışmamız sırasında Urartu’nun güney ve doğuya yayılımı sırasında inşa ettiği yol güzergâhlarını inceledik. Çalışmamızda coğrafi şartların yol güzergâhlarının oluşumuna nasıl etki ettiğini, arkeolojik kanıtlar ve yazılı kaynaklara göre bunların tespitini ve önerilen güzergâhların harita üzerinde gösterilerek bu alanda var olan eksikliği gidermek amacı hedeflenmiştir.
Urartu Krallığı MÖ 9. yüzyılın ortalarında doğu ve güney bölgelerine yayılım göstererek, kuzeybatı İran’a komşu olmuştur. Bölgenin tarihi coğrafyası, yolları, geçitleri, dağları, nehirleri, kentleri, hakkındaki temel bilgileri Batı İran civarında ele geçen yazıtlar, steller ve krallara ait yıllıklarından öğrenmekteyiz. Urartu ordularının doğu’da Tebriz
üzerinden Hazar Denizi’ne yakın olan, Razlık ve Naşteban yazıtlarıyla işaretlenen alana kadar gittiği görülür. Ancak yazıtların dışında bölgede herhangi bir bulguya rastlamak mümkün olmamıştır1. Taştepe, Kelişin ve Kalatgah ve Topzava yazıtları ise güneye yapılan seferler sonucunda bölgede bırakılmış ve Urartu ordularının güneyde ulaştığı noktaları
gösteren yazıtlardır2. Urartu krallarından İşpuini, Menua, I. Argişti, II. Sarduri’nin yazıtları ve Assur kralı II. Sargon’un sekizinci seferini anlatan yıllıklarından ele geçen bilgiler bölge ve yol güzergâhları hakkında detaylı bilgi vermektedir.

Since the 14th century, then particularly from the early 19th century AD to the late 1970s, many travelers, archaeologists and epigraphers have visited the borderland area (of Bradost-Sidekan) which was called the land of Muṣaṣir during the Iron Age. After the 1970s, due to military unrest the area remained virtually closed to archaeological activities. Since 2005, as a local archaeologist I have started a fieldwork project in this area.2 The initial aim of this fieldwork was to survey and record the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age sites and artefacts which have been uncovered by chance in the area during the period of military unrest, and much new archaeological evidence has come to light.
Abstract
There is agreement among the scholars that the land of Ardini/Muṣaṣir located in the northeastern corner of Iraqi-Kurdistan, in the triangle bordering with Turkey and Iran. This remote area, after the late 1970s for decades due to the military unrests remained almost closed to archaeological activity.
This paper, deals with some new archaeological evidence which comes from a field work undertook by the author during 2005-2012, in addition of studying unpublished collection of archaeological evidence uncovered accidentally over the past few decades by the local people.
These evidence delivered to the local museums and private collections which have been studied by the author during this field work. These new evidence include 17 column bases, several human size funerary statues, a stamp seal impression, and several vessels. Some of the column bases are the Urartian column basis style, very probably of the long-lost temple of Haldi of Musasir, these column basis uncovered in the Mdjeser village in Sidekan-Bradost area. Also, some of the statues can consider surely as Scythian funeral statues. The ceramic shows influence from Hasanlu and the surrounding area or vice versa. On the base of this field work I add some notes on the probable location of Musasir and its architecture, also, the results of this field work
sheds light on the issue of cultural and ethnic interaction that took part in the land of Ardini/Muṣaṣir during the Iron Age. Since 2011, this field work has been conducted as part of a doctoral research project being carried out by the presenter at the department of Assyriology at Leiden University.

The following article titled “Ritual-Worshipping Scenes and Architectural Images in the Iconography of Urartian Belts” is a continuation of articles in series of monographic writings wholesomely devoted to detailed research of iconographical content of Urartian bronze belts, including the fundamental creative-constructive components and indispensable composite parts, thematical content, narrative scenes, realistic traditional reflections and mythological symbolism of iconographical images. The main thematic focus of this article is the detailed research of Urartian Ritual-Worshipping Belts, especially in the context of determining their content according to the imagery of ritual-worshipping and ceremonial-religious scenes, and architectural landscapes. The task of research included the finding of main bibliographical sources containing relevant images, data and explanatory statements about Urartian ritual-worshipping belts; creating a database of this particular belt types according to sources of publications and places of safekeeping, whether big or small museums or private collections; identification of main themes, narratives and scenery contents; assessment of the overall design and ways of fastening of those belt types; assessing the overall geometrical proportions of those belt types and the implications of the “narrowness” that resulted in their conditional definition as of Narrow Belts; classification and typological assessment of their main and secondary iconographic elements, including various human characters, different sacral objects of individual or collective use; special sacral objects of worship such as single or multiple layered Moon-Crescents and Sun-Disks; diverse human activities and occupations; various scenes of architectural landscapes, castles, fortifications and their details; images of common animals found only in this belt type; images of only imaginary animal type (fish) of Urartian belts; images of mythological (composite) winged beasts made of animal and abstract parts;  images of mythological (composite) creatures made of animal, abstract and human parts, as well as attributes of religious-mythological fashion; images of some other elements, not typical, but sometimes found in the iconography of ritual-worshipping belts, such as symbols of Sacred Tree and Winged Sun-Disk; images of musicians and dancers; images of various musical instruments; images of religious acts such as performing rituals ceremonies, libation, praying, worshipping and making wishes to souls of the deceased, spirits of real animal, mythological beasts and creatures, souls of divinities and gods. The key formula of the transfer of the urartian material culture into urartian spiritual culture is contended, affirmed on a base of the iconographical contexts and thematic narrative contents of the ritual-worshipped belts; as well as validated through law-governed principles of urartian traditional-religious approaches and major mythological-philosophical concepts that was a base of urartian mindset of symbolical meaningfulness. At the end of the article some hints about the possible nature of urartian artistic conceptuality is given in the context of the crucial role that the urartian culture played in the overall process of urartian nation’s formation. Finally, the overall significance of ritual-worshipping belts is assessed in the fundamental framework of Urartian bronze belts studies, and also the possible effects are predicted on how these newer, informatively significant implications of those scientific archeologic-historic inquiries could progressively and positively contribute to Urartological Studies or Urartology.

The Urartian kingdom was composed of many disparate tribes across Anatolia, Caucasia and north-western Iran between the 9th and 6th centuries BC. At the end of the 9th century BC, the Urartian king Išpuini, followed by his son Minua, raised a lesser-known local god from the city of Muṣaṣir to the supreme position in the Urartian pantheon. Unlike the established Storm-god Teišeba or the popular Sun-god Šiuini (ranked second and third in the Urartian pantheon, respectively), Ḫaldi was a relatively new god to the Urartians. It will be argued that the selection of Ḫaldi as the protector of both the royal dynastic line and of the Urartian kingdom was made with the intention of unifying these disparate tribes through a new, collective identity.

Alpaslan CEYLAN Özet Erzurum tarihi ile ilgili bilgiler bölgenin alt Paleolitik çağdan itibaren insanların yaşadığını belgelemektedir. Erzurum ve çevresinde neolitik çağ yerleşmeleri ile ilgili bugüne dek arkeolojik veriler bulunmamaktadır. Bölgenin kalkolitik ve tunç çağı hakkında çözüm bekleyen sorunlar bulunmaktadır. Bölgede yapılan Karaz, Pulur, Güzelova, Sos ve Çiğdemli kazıları bu dönemler hakkında az da olsa açıklayıcı bilgiler vermektedir. Özellikle bölgede yoğun bir şekilde varlığını gösteren ve daha çok keramiği ile tanınan Karaz kültürünü barındıran çok miktarda höyük bulunmaktadır. M.Ö. 2. Binde Anadolu'da egemen olan Hitit döneminde, Erzurum ve çevresinde Hayaşalıların egemen olduğu yine Hitit kayıtlarından anlaşılmaktadır. Erzurum M.Ö. 1. Binde bölgenin önemli devleti Urartu sınırları dahilindeki ve bu devletin kayıtlarında Diau(e)hi olarak adlandırılan krallığın çekirdek topraklarını oluşturmaktadır. Urartu devletinin yıkılışından sonra bölge, Med ve Pers egemenliği altına girmiştir. Hellen krallarından I. Artaxias (M.Ö. 188-145) bölgeyi Hellen topraklarına katmıştır. Bölge daha sonra Romalıların eline geçmiştir. Erzurum Kalesi: Bugünkü şehrin orta kesiminde hafif yükseltili bir tepe üzerinde bulunan iç kale, doğu-batı doğrultusunda uzanan dikdörtgen bir konuma sahiptir. Duvarları yer yer burçlar ve dayanak kuleleri ile desteklenmiştir. Kalenin doğusunun hemen kenarından geçen dere nedeni ile bu kesim oldukça eğimlidir. Erzurum kalesinin kuruluş tarihiyle ilgili ilk yazılı kaynaklar M.S. 415 yılını vermektedir. Kale, Bizans generali Anatolius tarafından yaptırılmış ve imparatorun adından ötürü Theodosiopolis ismi verilmiştir. Kaynaklarda geçen karin adı da Karintis şeklinde Yunancalılaştırılmıştır. Araplar ise Kalikala veya Kali adını vermişlerdir. Bugünkü Erzurum adı ise Erzen (karaz)'ın Selçuklular tarafından yıkılması üzerine halkının Theodopolis'e gelmeleri sonucu bu şehre Erzen, Siirt yakınlarındaki Erzen'den ayırt etmek ve Anadolu'ya ait olduğunu bildirmek için Erzen er-rum şeklinde ifade etmişler, daha sonra ise Erzurum şekline dönüşmüştür. Ancak Theodosiopolis kalesi (Erzurum kalesi) kurulmadan önce, bu alanda yine savunmaya dönük yapıların olması gerekmektedir. 502'de Sasanilerin eline geçen kale, sık sık Bizans ve İranlılar arasında el değiştirmiştir. VII. Yüzyılın ikinci yarısında Bizans'ın doğuya egemen olmasını önlemek için görevlendirilen Habib bin Mesleme tarafından şehir ilk kez Araplar tarafından ele geçirilmiştir. 755'te Halife abu Mansur kaleyi tamir ederek, güçlendirmiştir. 1048'de Erzurum'a kadar gelen Türk birliklerinin başında Kutalmış ve İbrahim Yınal bulunmaktaydı. Bunlar, şehrin kuzeybatısında yer alan ve ilk yerleşim yeri olan Karaz'ı kuşatma altına alıp ele geçirdiler ve kurtulanlar Theodosiopolis'e sığındılar. Bu tarihten itibaren bölge Türk egemenliğine geçmiştir. Bu tarihten sonra çeşitli saldırılara rağmen ayakta kalmayı başaran kale ile ilgili fazla bir belge ve kitabe bulunmamasına rağmen pek çok kez onarım gördüğü bugünkü duvarlarından anlaşılmaktadır. Kalenin asıl girişinin saat kulesinin de bulunduğu köşedeki kenar açıklığından olduğu tahmin edilmektedir. Günümüzde kale içerisindeki kale mescidinin dışında kalıntısı dahil hiçbir yapı bulunmamaktadır. Zemini büyük ölçüde toprak dolguya sahip olan kale içinde, 30-40 yıl öncesine kadar eski yapılar bulunmaktaydı.

In 2015, on the northeastern slopes of Greater Masis, in the area between the city of Igdir and the village of Aralik, in the mountainous alpine zone, lying in the ground in a half-inclined position, a “vishap” stela was discovered with a bull image, measuring approximately 380 x 1120 x 60 cm. From clusters of stones around the stela, it can be assumed that the monument is in its original place, probably on the platform/cromlech. In the area of Mount Masis “vishap” stelae have never been discovered before. The only data in this regard relates to writer Atrpet, who mentions them in the region “Mankasar-Kizil Ziaret (Voskisar sanctuary)”, in the highlands near the Sinak and Shishtapa/Zor mountains, actually not far from the recently discovered “vishap”. The “vishap” found on the slopes of Greater Masis, once again testifies to the system of ideas concerning this mountain by the Armenian and partially by the neighboring peoples, in which it serves as a kind of residence for vishap/dragonheroes, giants and peoples worshiping dragons, and where the Vardavar holidays were held. Archaeological data supplement the mentioned image. The fact of presence of the “vishap” on Masis is combined with the evidence towards giant tombs, tower structures and canals on the mountain, analogues of which are known also from other areas of the “vishap” distribution. The symbolic nature of Masis, restored through combination of archaeological, historical and oral data, is not accidental, since this mountain is the highest and the most attractive landmark of the Armenian Highland and the most important factor in creating of local identities.