Ancient Urartian site of Cavustepe (Sardurihinilli)
Ancient Urartian site of Cavustepe (Sardurihinilli)
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PeterJesson
New York City, NY18 contributions
Nov 2012 • Couples
The Urartian Empire, with its capital at Van (Tushpa), was a major rival of the Assyrians during the first millennium BC.
Cavustepe (Sardurihinilli), a royal palace of King Sadur II, is 28 km from Van and is always open. It is one of the best preserved of the Urartian sites and is a wonderful experience for the student of ancient history. Like the palace at Van, it extends along a rocky spur perched above a fertile plain. The large masonry blocks are very finely dressed; the temple area has a well preserved, perfectly carved, Uratian inscription. If you are lucky, as we were, Mehmet Kusman, one of the few people in the world who can speak, read and write Urartian, will give you a tour of the site as well as translating the inscriptions. During the tour you will see the remains of massive sunken storage jars used to store the harvest from the plains below, sunken cisterns for water storage and what is clearly a toilet.
An often overlooked gem is the so called Semiramis Canal stretching 50 km from the mountains to supply water to Van. It can be seen from the Cavustepe site, snaking on the plain below. The canal has run continuously for over 2,500 years (long predating the Roman aqueduct). It can be seen up close where it crosses the road just past the site. Large volumes of blue melt water rush under the bridge.
Cavustepe (Sardurihinilli), a royal palace of King Sadur II, is 28 km from Van and is always open. It is one of the best preserved of the Urartian sites and is a wonderful experience for the student of ancient history. Like the palace at Van, it extends along a rocky spur perched above a fertile plain. The large masonry blocks are very finely dressed; the temple area has a well preserved, perfectly carved, Uratian inscription. If you are lucky, as we were, Mehmet Kusman, one of the few people in the world who can speak, read and write Urartian, will give you a tour of the site as well as translating the inscriptions. During the tour you will see the remains of massive sunken storage jars used to store the harvest from the plains below, sunken cisterns for water storage and what is clearly a toilet.
An often overlooked gem is the so called Semiramis Canal stretching 50 km from the mountains to supply water to Van. It can be seen from the Cavustepe site, snaking on the plain below. The canal has run continuously for over 2,500 years (long predating the Roman aqueduct). It can be seen up close where it crosses the road just past the site. Large volumes of blue melt water rush under the bridge.
Written October 11, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cemse
ISTANBUL244 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
It was amazing to visit this site and meet and talk with a person who learned Urartu language while guiding the site. He reads and writes cuneiform. He told us about the history of the site and read from the cuneifor script on the rocks. The place has beautiful scenery which you can admire while listening to him.
Written July 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
reise-tanta-di
Lafayette, CA2,394 contributions
At the fortress-palace, Cavustepe, we were guided around on the site by Mehmet, the custodian that reads cuneiform inscriptions. A temple structure located on the summit had one black stone with inscription. Don't miss the area with two rows of large, now partly buried, clay storage jars. When excavated some of them held carbonized wheat that were thousands of years old. At the end of our visit Mehmet did a brisk business selling his hand carved jewelry and plaques with cuneiform inscriptions.
Written June 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cihan Yorukoglu
Istanbul, Türkiye324 contributions
Sep 2013 • Family
Don't come back from here before meeting with Mehmet Kusman who knows the Urartu language. This place was a great place, but Mehmet Kusman was the best part of Cavustepe visit. Also, if you're lucky, he may guide you through the Cavustepe too.
Written September 25, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sibel k
9 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
Çavuştepe Castle, one of the very significant highlights of Van, belongs to the very bright, and successful wealthy period of Urartu civilisation. It was built on Bol Mountains for military and economic purposes by Urartu King II. Sarduri (BC 764-735) and named after him as "Sardurihinili" aka “Sarduri’s City. Called Aspeniş by the locals, it is 10 kilometers to Gürpınar and 25 kilometers to Van. Consisting of two parts, upper (30 meters high from the ground) and lower level, upper level castle surronded by walls has Haldi and open-air temple The lower castle has stalls for horses, temple, storage, cisterns, and place. Once a guard and excavation worker during 1961-1986, Mehmet Kuşman (in his 80ies) is now a tour guide and one of the 36 people in the World who knows the language of this civilization.
Written June 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christy V
San Angelo, TX69 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
You can imagine what this royal Urartian citadeli was like 2,700 years ago, with it's temple buildings, palace, sacrificial altar, first toilet and ancient cisterns. We met Mehet Kusman who decoded the ancient Urartian alphabet. You have to hike up a hill but you have a good view and the ruins are worth it!
Written July 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cammerayguy
Sydney, Australia428 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
Çavuştepe is over 2000 years old so don't arrive expecting substantial remains. What has been excavated along the ridge top can be tricky to interpret - for instance we assumed initially that the carefully finished stone work was modern infill, but the guide told us it was in fact the oldest work.
When we visited in September 2014 we were not allowed to continue beyond the temple foundations. And archeological dig was in progress - and apparently some of the archeologists had been upset by visitors climbing on fragile walls and destroying them.
So please when you visit stay on the paths and leave the ruins for others to appreciate after you.
A visit to Cavustepe can easily be combined with a trip from Van to Hoşap We visited on a day trip from Van organised by Alkans travel in Van. Having a guide is essential. Our guide from Alkans was Aysel who was a personal friend of the site caretaker. I feel we benefited greatly by having the site interpreted for us by these two experts.
When we visited in September 2014 we were not allowed to continue beyond the temple foundations. And archeological dig was in progress - and apparently some of the archeologists had been upset by visitors climbing on fragile walls and destroying them.
So please when you visit stay on the paths and leave the ruins for others to appreciate after you.
A visit to Cavustepe can easily be combined with a trip from Van to Hoşap We visited on a day trip from Van organised by Alkans travel in Van. Having a guide is essential. Our guide from Alkans was Aysel who was a personal friend of the site caretaker. I feel we benefited greatly by having the site interpreted for us by these two experts.
Written December 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EasternTurkeyTour
Van, Türkiye62 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
About 20 kms outside Van on the road to hakkari. The castle stretches along the narrow ridge if a lozenge shaped hill with commanding views if the surrounding countryside. Although all the buikdinfs are reduced to chest height you can easily see the layout of the complex which includes temples with inscriptions of dedication, store rooms, granaries (including clay vats still containing grain), cisterns, accommodation rooms, sacrificial altar and an ancient squat toilet, all dating back 2700 years. The chances are that you will have the place to yourself. The problem is it is not easy to get to without your own transport. Best way to get there is with Alkans Tours, see Lonely Planet for all the information you need.
Written August 6, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peterson3443
Istanbul, Türkiye24 contributions
May 2013 • Business
You will really enjoy the location as well as the architecture of the complex, with a shrine ,storage places, Harem section, old toilette :) cistern, Urartian inscription, if Mr Mehmet is there he can also translate everything about Urartian language,,
Written July 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
suzie I
Nelson, New Zealand38 contributions
May 2011 • Couples
At Cavustepe built Urartians in 764-735BC, there is less structure to see, but the atmosphere is ethereal. The castle rambles over nearly a kilometer of rock, there are the remains of wide stairs leading down to the valley below, and in the storage areas the huge food urns are buried half into the ground and the broken rings are still visible.
The caretaker is one of the last of 25 or so people who can still speak Urartian and can still write in the cuniform language. He sells souvenirs with cuniform writing which he carves on basalt stone.
We went to the top fortress where there was a huge platform cut in the rock, and above there were the ruins of more buildings. We sat for a while looking down on the lower fortress which stretched out along the lower rock into the distance. The Urartians were expert engineers, there are water cisterns and a toilet which is said so be the oldest squat toilet ever excavated. On the plains below there were still the canals built by the Urartians for irrigation and to bring water to the fortress.
We visited on part of a day trip with Haran of Ararat-trek.com. He went where we asked and stopped when we asked. He had lots of local knowledge and never hurried us, we could spend as long as we liked at the sites. Its nt an easy place to visit on public transport, so we incorporated this visit with one to Hosep Castle in the same day.
The caretaker is one of the last of 25 or so people who can still speak Urartian and can still write in the cuniform language. He sells souvenirs with cuniform writing which he carves on basalt stone.
We went to the top fortress where there was a huge platform cut in the rock, and above there were the ruins of more buildings. We sat for a while looking down on the lower fortress which stretched out along the lower rock into the distance. The Urartians were expert engineers, there are water cisterns and a toilet which is said so be the oldest squat toilet ever excavated. On the plains below there were still the canals built by the Urartians for irrigation and to bring water to the fortress.
We visited on part of a day trip with Haran of Ararat-trek.com. He went where we asked and stopped when we asked. He had lots of local knowledge and never hurried us, we could spend as long as we liked at the sites. Its nt an easy place to visit on public transport, so we incorporated this visit with one to Hosep Castle in the same day.
Written October 13, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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