Çavuştepe is an archaeological site, located 24 kilometres from Van on the Van-Başkale highway.
Historical Background
The Urartians named the site Sarduri-Hinili, meaning "City of Sarduri", after its founder, the Urartian king Sarduri II (764-735 BC).
Sights & Photos of Çavuştepe
The remnants of the Urartian castle are sparse and scattered atop a hill (Çavuştepe means guardian hill). The walls of the castle measure 5-6 meters in height and can be seen from the highway. Inside the walls, built on two peaks of a mountain, are two fortresses, called the "upper" (yukarı kale) and "lower" (asağı kale) fortresses. In the upper castle is an open-air temple dedicated to the Urartian god Haldi. The Urartians also made the plain below their palace fertile by digging irrigation canals from the river Hoşap. Between the upper and lower castle, there are the remains of a substantial number of workshop buildings and the kitchen.
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Travel Information & Travel Tips
A trip to is Çavuştepe is usually combined with Hoşap Kalesi, which is located 33 km further on the Van-Başkale highway.
