THE GREAT ART OF THE
KINGDOM OF
URARTU:
A FORMIDABLE ANCIENT EMPIRE AND A
CIVILIZATION CRADLE
Photo: Map of the
world showing Cilicia-Urartu, circa 1,500 B.C.
In the early twentieth
century, a long forgotten magnificent kingdom and a cradle of civilization
was rediscovered in the Anatolian highlands of Asia Minor. Not until 1936
was the first systematic and scientific excavation of an edifice or a
fortress of that lost civilization begun. And that was, the ancient Kingdom
of Urartu (a name created by the Assyrians) which was centered around Lake
Van. Sometimes, historians refer to Urartu as the kingdom of Van. The first
Uraturians were called Nairi by the Assyrians and inhabitants of Asia Minor
and their homeland was frequently called Urartu, while the Uraturians
referred to their nation as the Land of Biani. The ancient Phoenicians in
Tyr (Today, city of Sour in modern Lebanon) and Sidon (Today, city of Saida
in modern Lebanon) and the Hebrews knew the Uraturians and had exchanged
trade and commerce with them. The Hebrews gave the Uraturians the name of
Ararat as it was mentioned in the bible. And Ararat became Armenia in Greek,
Coptic, Latin and Arabic. A short segment in the Book of Jeremia , in the
fourth reign year King Zedekiah, circa 594 B.C., the Urarturians were
referred to as Ararat.
Photo:
Vase representing the seven recorded
planets, circa mid-bronze age
The territory was described
as a rich land between the rivers, with their head at the "mountains of the
gods" (described as "Arartu" in "Gilgamesh") a ca. 4000 BC Sumerian story,
considered the first epoch. In the same epoch the land of Arartu was
called the birthplace of humankind, the font of civilization, and to travel
there and back, a person had to "go by land, return by water", which
perfectly describes the mountainous and river terrain in Armenia). When
the Massoretic scholars were in their first process of vocalizing the text
of the Old Testament, they inserted the vowel “a” into their own
language’s words, thus 'Urartu' mistakenly became 'Ararat'. The Assyrian
kings Salmanazar the first, Tukulti-Ninurta the first, Teglath-Phalazar the
first and Salamanazar the third campaigns against Urartu were vividly
recorded and described how advanced the Urarturians were in metallurgy, art,
architecture, sculpture gold and silver artwork, military crafts
and, particularly, how formidable the Urarturians were in their resistance
and military tactics. The Assyrians records included lengthy descriptions of
the magnificent Uraturian fortresses, the Urarturian bronze and iron swords
and shields, their cities, fortifications and ramparts. Assyrians and
Hittites feared only one enemy: The People of The North. They meant by that:
The Urarturians! In time of war, the ancient Urarturians-Armenians were an
incredible war machine. In time of peace, they were remarkable artists,
sculptors, engineers, architects, designers, irrigation geniuses, temples
and cities builders, in short, they were the most advanced artists of
their time. Urartians arose from the Hurrians and used a language
identical to Hurrian. These strong and tenacious inhabitants of mountains
and high hills erected gigantic and great fortresses throughout their
highlands. Palace, castles, ramparts, fortresses, cities fortifications
ruins and sites remains reveal a majestic past and a glorious and economic
might. Urarturians were remarkable artists especially in sculpture,
architecture, palaces and houses exterior and interior design embellished
with unusual and innovative balconies, verandas, windows, towers, entrances
and gates made from carved stones and ornamented iron. The interiors of
their houses were decorated with exquisite bas-reliefs, motives, circular
and rectangular patterns and compositions embossed with an astonishing
variety of colors and shades. Many houses, regardless of the social,
political and economical status of their inhabitants, had an integral water
supply and practical drainage system. Their gold and silver artwork,
figurines and statues enriched with mythological patterns, symbols and
designs ranging from images of sacred trees protected by angels, magi, genii
to monarchs, kings, priests, gods and goddesses. Urarturian architecture was
predominant and influential in the Middle East, Near East and Asia Minor.
One of its most characteristic features was the blind arch which later on in
will be copied and adapted by Persians, Greeks, Italians, Phoenicians,
Hittites, Assyrians and the majority of the inhabitants of Asia Minor.
Similar thing will happen again in the years and centuries to come, when the
Cilician architecture began to influence and shape up the architecture of
the fortresses and castles of the Crusaders in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine,
Cyprus, Malta and Syria and the European majestic cathedrals and churches.