16 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Excavations at Körzüt Castle unearth 2 cuneiform inscriptions and a new Urartian Susi temple

During the rescue excavations carried out at the Körzüt Castle in the Muradiye district of Van province in eastern Turkey, 2 cuneiform inscriptions and a 2800-year-old Urartian Susi temple were found. Susi Temple: A kind of temple found in Urartu, which is a square, single-chambered tower-like buildings.

Körzüt is the modern Turkish name for an Urartean fortress located on a rock spur at the southern end of the Muradiye/Berkri plain, approximately 3 km north of Uluşar, in the Muradiye district of Van province in Türkiye. According to an inscription of the Urartean King Minua (9th / 8th century BCE), the fortress was built by Minua.

Rescue excavations in Körzüt Castle were started on October 13, with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, under the scientific consultancy of Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Archeology, Associate Professor Sabahattin Erdoğan.

Associate Professor Sabahattin Erdoğan stated that they started the 2023 Körzüt Castle rescue excavation on October 13 and said, “During our work, we identified an Urartian Temple that is approximately 2800 years old.

Photo: DHA

“This temple is a tower-type susi temple, which we call rizarit (buttress). Before starting the excavations, there was a citadel extending from north to south and a structure at the southern end. We observed two buttresses in the southeast and southwest, which we call ‘rizalit.’ These buttresses were part of the temple within the building. During further work, we initially identified a cuneiform block on the temple’s northern façade. This block bears an Urartian cuneiform inscription consisting of six rows. A second block with a cuneiform inscription was discovered. These inscriptions indicate the site’s significance as a temple.”



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Photo: DHA

Our work on the inscriptions continues. “Apart from this, maybe we will learn what the name of the castle was in the Urartu (ancient) period, thanks to these inscriptions,” he added.

Associate Professor Erdoğan explained that they had identified another temple similar to this Susi temple in the studies carried out in the same region last year, and said, ” Having more than one temple in a castle is not a very common understanding among the Urartians, in this respect, these structures are very important,”

Photo: DHA

Muradiye District Governor Melih Aydoğan said that rescue excavation work continues. District Governor Aydoğan said, “The authorities informed us that these inscriptions belong to the period of King Minua and describe a campaign,”.

The plastered mud bricks found at the site feature blue plaster typical of Urartian temples, and archaeologists speculate that mythological scenes carved in brown or black might be present on these blocks.

Related Articles

Archaeologists in Iraq find 2,700-year-old wine press

24 October 2021

24 October 2021

Stone bas-reliefs carved into the walls of an irrigation canal some nine kilometers (5.5 miles) long, and the remains of...

Archaeologists have found a fort that the Romans built to protect their silver mines, complete with wooden spikes

23 February 2023

23 February 2023

Archaeologists have discovered wooden defenses surrounding an ancient Roman military base for the first time in Bad Ems, western Germany....

Vindolanda marks the 1900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall with an altar discovery

9 February 2022

9 February 2022

The excavation season hasn’t started yet, but the Vindolanda Roman fort has kicked off Hadrian’s Wall’s 1900th anniversary year with...

Advanced imaging techniques reveal secrets of sealed ancient Egyptian animal coffins

21 April 2023

21 April 2023

Researchers from the British Museum have gained valuable insight into the contents of six sealed ancient Egyptian animal coffins using...

Ancient golden neck ring found in Denmark

24 April 2022

24 April 2022

A one-of-a-kind golden neck ring from the Germanic Iron Age (400-550 A.D.) has been discovered in a field not far...

Centuries-old boardwalk discovered

22 December 2023

22 December 2023

During construction work in November 2023, road construction workers in Fürth came across an archaeological sensation: a centuries-old boardwalk under...

Scientists Use Artificial İntelligence to Study Ancient Australian Rock Art

1 April 2021

1 April 2021

Rock art is the oldest surviving human art form. Throughout Australia, petroglyphs are part of the life and customs of...

Rare Hittite bracelet, 3300 years old, found by a farmer

28 March 2022

28 March 2022

A farmer in Turkey’s Çorum province discovered a rare 3,300-year-old ancient bracelet from the Hittite era while plowing his farm....

Archaeologists Discovered Over 500 Ancient Coins and A Gold Template for Making jewelry in Bulgaria

17 August 2024

17 August 2024

In Plovdiv, in southern Bulgaria, archaeologists have discovered over 500 ancient coins and a gold template for making jewelry from...

200,000-year-old hand axe discovered in the northern part of Saudi Arabia

5 November 2023

5 November 2023

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) of Saudi Arabia has announced that archeological excavation teams at the Qurh site in...

Wasabi Isn’t Just For Sushi: It is an Innovative Solution for Preserving Ancient Papyrus

28 February 2024

28 February 2024

A new natural technique for cleaning and preserving priceless ancient Egyptian papyrus that are in danger from bacteria and fungi...

The Oldest Semicircular Classroom in the Greek World Unearthed in Sicily

21 April 2025

21 April 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough in southern Sicily, an international team of researchers has uncovered an extraordinary ancient classroom that...

Habib-i Neccar Mosque, one of the first mosques in Anatolia, was destroyed in the earthquake

12 February 2023

12 February 2023

Antakya Habib-i Neccar Mosque, one of the first mosques built in Anatolia, was destroyed in the earthquake that killed tens...

Artvin Demirkapı/Arılı rock paintings give information about Anatolian Bronze Age Nomadic

14 December 2021

14 December 2021

Rock paintings are material cultural assets that provide us with unique information about the socio-cultural structure, religious beliefs, and rituals,...

Academics Uncover Ancient Roman Physicians Galen’s Pharmacy Legacy in İzmir

27 February 2024

27 February 2024

As a part of research on medicinal plants in Bergama, İzmir’s historic district where Galen (129 AD -200 AD) once...