4 June 2023 The Future is the Product of the Past

Turkey’s Urartian Altıntepe Castle transforms into open museum

Altıntepe Castle, one of the most important centers of the Urartians and the Eastern Roman Empire, is now set to open to visitors after being converted into an open-air museum with excavations finishing at the site.

The 2,900-year-old Altıntepe Castle is in eastern Turkey is located on a 60-meter-high (196-feet-high) hill in the Üzümlü district, 14 kilometers (8.69 miles) northeast of Erzincan city center.

The artifacts discovered at the Urartian-era Altntepe Castle, which is located on the ancient Silk Road and has been turned into an open-air museum popularly known as the “archeopark,” are the sole examples of Urartian culture.

The first excavations in and around the Urartian castle, where hundreds of historical artifacts from 850 and 590 BC are located, were carried out between 1959-1967, under the leadership of the famous Turkish archaeologist Professor Doctor Tahsin Özgüç from Ankara University.

Professor Mehmet Karaosmanoğlu restarted the excavations in 2003 in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Atatürk University, and they were finished in 2019.

An aerial view shows the 2,900-year-old Urartian-era Altıntepe Castle, in Erzincan, Turkey. (AA Photo)

The castle has been restored since the excavations and converted into an open-air museum by laying walking paths. Once landscaping work has been completed, the museum will be opened to visitors.

Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Arda Heb told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the excavations in Altıntepe Castle contributed significantly to Anatolian archaeology.

Heb explained that the castle was converted into an open-air museum after many years of excavations.

“The first excavations in Altıntepe Castle, which is 14 kilometers from our city center, were initiated by the late Professor Tahsin Özgüç in 1959, and our professor’s excavations continued until 1968. The second stage of excavations was carried out by Professor Mehmet Karaosmanoğlu between 2003 and 2020. In these studies, important architectural remains and artifacts belonging to the Urartian period have been found.”

Heb stated that Altıntepe is one of the most important settlements of the Urartian civilization that has survived to the present day.

An aerial view shows the 2,900-year-old Urartian-era Altıntepe Castle, in Erzincan, Turkey. (AA Photo)
An aerial view shows the 2,900-year-old Urartian-era Altıntepe Castle, in Erzincan, Turkey. (AA Photo)

“The Urartian period structures unearthed in Altıntepe have made significant contributions to Anatolian archeology and are the only examples of the culture they represent. The artifacts excavated from the castle are exhibited in the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara and have been evaluated in many articles and published books. Altıntepe Castle has survived to the present day and is an important settlement of the Urartian civilization.”

Heb stated that the site, which has been converted into an “archaeopark,” contains many historical remains.

“The inner castle structure and walls, the temple, the apadana (a large hypostyle hall), the warehouse building, the foundation remains of the open-air temple and three underground tomb rooms, all of which belong to the Urartian period, have been unearthed in the castle,” he said.

“In addition, the remains of a mosaic-based church decorated with animal figures from the post-Urartian period have survived to the present day. With the works carried out under the auspices of our Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the works are continuing to transform the castle into an archaeopark and serve as an open-air museum to our people.”

Banner
Related Post

5,200-year-old stone carving silkworm chrysalis discovered in north China

19 July 2022

19 July 2022

According to the provincial archaeological research institute, archaeologists discovered a stone-carved silkworm chrysalis dating back at least 5,200 years in...

Deadly 7.7 quakes hit Turkey destroys historical Gaziantep Castle

6 February 2023

6 February 2023

A deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, with tremors felt in the neighboring provinces, has...

Bronze Age and Roman-era settlements unearthed in Newquay

10 April 2023

10 April 2023

Archaeologists from the Cornwall Archaeological have uncovered ancient dwellings from the Bronze Age and a Roman period settlement in Newquay,...

The oldest meerschaum artifact found in Anatolia; of Çavlum Seal

18 July 2021

18 July 2021

The stamp seal unearthed during the rescue excavations of Çavlum Village on the Eskişehir Alpu Plain is the oldest meerschaum...

The World’s oldest and first swords ever discovered

11 March 2023

11 March 2023

The 5,000-year-old swords found 43 years ago during the excavations in the old mud-brick palace structure in Malatya Arslantepe Mound...

5000-year-old jewelry factory found in Rakhi Garhi in India’s Indus Valley region

9 May 2022

9 May 2022

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has made an important discovery by finding the remains of a 5000-year-old jewelry factory...

Archaeologists Unearth Carolingian Silver Treasure Hoard

6 May 2021

6 May 2021

A silver treasure hoard from the 9th century AD has been discovered in Poland‘s Osa and Drwęca basin. The hoard...

Unprecedented 1800-year-old marble bathtub recovered in Turkey

23 April 2022

23 April 2022

The 1800-year-old marble bathtub, which was seized when it was about to be sold by historical artifact smugglers in Aydın’s...

1,500-year-old secret underground passage uncovered in Istanbul

15 May 2023

15 May 2023

During the ongoing excavations in the ruins of Saint Polyeuktos Church in Istanbul’s Saraçhane neighborhood, which was destroyed during the...

The 6,000-year-old settlement found in island of Corsica

2 May 2023

2 May 2023

Archaeologists in a French municipality recently excavated the slopes of Punta Campana (island of Corsica) in preparation for a construction...

Egyptian archaeologists discovered 16 meters long ancient papyrus with spells from the Book of the Dead

19 January 2023

19 January 2023

Archaeologists working in Egypt’s Saqqara region have unearthed a 16-meter-long ancient papyrus for the first time in a century. Saqqara...

An important Gallo-Roman worship complex was discovered near Rennes, France

13 June 2022

13 June 2022

An essential Gallo-Roman worship complex was unearthed by Inrap  (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) archaeologists at Chapelle-des-Fougeretz (Ille-et-Vilaine), near...

In Turkey’s Zerzevan Castle, a badge bearing the US national symbol was discovered

4 October 2021

4 October 2021

Recent investigations have led to the discovery of a badge bearing the pattern of the Great Seal of the United...

Ancient Rome’s city borders were discovered in a rare stone

17 July 2021

17 July 2021

Archaeologists unearthed a rare stone outlining ancient Rome’s city borders during excavations for a new sewage system. The stone comes...

On the beach of Herculaneum, a victim of the Vesuvius explosion was discovered with his bag

4 December 2021

4 December 2021

Archaeologists released haunting images Wednesday of the skeletal remains of a man buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in...

Comments
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *