Home ‘I Have Made a Highway of Biainili’:
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

‘I Have Made a Highway of Biainili’:

Transportation and Road Networks in the Territories of the Urartian Kingdom
  • Ali Çifçi ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Bilcan Gökce ORCID logo
Published/Copyright: November 30, 2021
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

After emerging in the Lake Van Basin of Turkey, the Urartian kingdom expanded its territory across Eastern Anatolia, Northwestern Iran, and Armenia between the late 9th and early 7th century BC. The high altitude of these regions and the climatic conditions, especially long and harsh winters with heavy snowfall, likely forced the Urartian monarchy to establish a reliable network of communication: new roads and new settlements along these roads were established between the capital city Tušpa and other parts of its territory. This study presents a reassessment of the archaeological and textual evidence on Urartian routes used for military campaigns, settlements located along these routes, ancient road remains and means of transportation.

Acknowledgment:

We would like to thank Harun Danışmaz, Sırrı Tiryaki and Kenan Işık for kindly allowing us to use some of the illustrations from their archives and also to anonymous referees for their comments and suggestions.

Bibliography

Batmaz, A. (2018): Urartu Krallığı’nın Kuzey Bölgeleri ile İletişim ve Ulaşım Ağlarına İlişkin Yeni Gözlemler. In: B. Gökce/P. Pınarcık (ed.), Eski Yakındoğu'da Ulaşım Üzerine Yazılar, Ankara, 161–176.Search in Google Scholar

Belli, O. (1977): Urartular Çağında Van Bölgesi Yol Şebekesi (İstanbul University, Social Science Institute, Unpublished PhD Thesis).Search in Google Scholar

Burney, C.A. (1957): Urartian Fortresses and Towns in the Van Region, AnSt.7, 37–53.10.2307/3642346Search in Google Scholar

Burney, C.A./D.M. Lang (1971): The Peoples of the Hills: Ancient Ararat and Caucasus, London.Search in Google Scholar

Çavuşoğlu, R./K. Işık/M. Salvini (2010): New Urartian Inscriptions from East Turkey, Or. 79, 36–54.Search in Google Scholar

Çifçi, A. (2017): The Socio-Economic Organisation of the Urartian Kingdom (CHANE 89), Leiden.10.1163/9789004347595Search in Google Scholar

Çifçi, A. (2020): Urartian Studies During the Foundation of Modern Nation States: Archaeological Traditions, Ideologies and Perceptions, Ancient West and East 19, 1–42.Search in Google Scholar

Çifçi, A./A.M. Greaves (2013): Urartian Irrigation Systems: A Critical Review, JANES 50, 191–214.Search in Google Scholar

Çilingiroğlu, A. (1984): Urartu ve Kuzey Suriye, Siyasal ve Kültürel İlişkiler, Izmir.Search in Google Scholar

Dan, R. (2017): Linking Lowlands Among the Mountains: The Urartian “Road Stations”, Studies in Caucasian Archaeology 3, 84–112.Search in Google Scholar

Gökce, B. (2018): Urartu Krallığında Tekerlekli Taşıtlar/Wheeled Vehicles in the Urartian Kingdom, Ankara.Search in Google Scholar

Gökce, B. (2020): Urartu Dönemi’nde Hayvan ve Hayvancılık: Çivi Yazılı Belgeler, Arkeolojik Bulgular ve Betim Sanatı Üzerinden Bir Değerlendirme, Disiplinlerarası Akdeniz Araştırmaları Dergisi 6, 35–57.10.18367/pha.20004Search in Google Scholar

Işık, K. (2015): Urartu Yazılı Kaynaklarında Geçen Yer Adları ve Lokalizasyonları (Yüzüncü Yıl University, Social Science Institute, Unpublished PhD Thesis).Search in Google Scholar

Kleiss, W. (1974): Planaufnahmen urartäischer Burgen und Neufunde urartäischer Anlagen in Iranisch-Azerbaidjan im Jahre 1973, AMI 7, 79–106.Search in Google Scholar

Kleiss, W. (1976): Urartäische Plätze im Iran (Stand der Forschung Herbst 1975), AMI 9, 19–43.Search in Google Scholar

Kleiss, W. (1981): Zum Stand der Karavanserail-Forschung in Iran 1979, AMI 14, 203–205.Search in Google Scholar

Kleiss, W. (1988): Aspekte der urartäischen Architektur, IrAnt. 23, 181–215.10.2143/IA.23.0.2014053Search in Google Scholar

Kleiss, W./S. Kroll (1979): Vermessene urartäische Plätze in Iran (West-Azerbaidjan) und Neufunde (Stand der Forschung 1978), AMI 12, 183–243.Search in Google Scholar

Köroğlu, K. (2007): New Observations on the Origin of the Single-roomed Rock-cut Tombs of Eastern Anatolia. In: M. Alparslan/M. Doğan-Alparslan/H. Peker (ed.), Belkıs Dinçol ve Ali Dinçol’a Armağan. VITA. Festschrift in Honor of Belkıs Dinçol and Ali Dinçol, Istanbul, 445–456.Search in Google Scholar

Köroğlu, K./H. Danışmaz (2018): The Origin of Stepped Rock-Cut Tunnels in Eastern Anatolia, JANES 55, 107–124.Search in Google Scholar

Köroğlu, K./E. Konyar (2008): Comments on the Early/ Middle Iron Age Chronology of Lake Van Basin. In: A Re-Assessment of Iron Ages Chronology in Anatolia and Neighbouring Regions. Proceedings of a Symposium held at Ege University, İzmir, Turkey, 25–27 May 2005 (ANES 45), 123–146.10.2143/ANES.45.0.2033167Search in Google Scholar

Lanfranchi, G.B./S. Parpola (1990): The Correspondence of Sargon II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces (SAA 5), Helsinki.Search in Google Scholar

Levine, L.D. (1977): Sargon’s Eighth Campaign. In: L.D. Levine/T.C. Young (ed.) Mountains and Lowlands: Essays in Archaeology of Greater Mesopotamia, Malibu, 135–151.Search in Google Scholar

Luckenbill, D.D. (1989): Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia: Historical records of Assyria. Vol. 2: From Sargon to the End, London (reprint).Search in Google Scholar

Mayer, W. (1980): Sargons Feldzug gegen Urartu – 714 v. Chr.: Eine militärhistorische Würdigung, MDOG 112, 13–33.Search in Google Scholar

Monteith, C. (1833): Journal of a Tour Through Azerdbijan and the Shores of the Caspian, The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London 3, 1–58.10.2307/1797594Search in Google Scholar

Muscarella, O.W. (1986): The Location of Ulhu and Uiše in Sargon II’s Eighth Campaign, 714 BC, JFA 13, 465–475.10.1179/jfa.1986.13.4.465Search in Google Scholar

Özfırat, A. (2017): Melekli-Kültepe (Iğdır) Höyüğü, Urartu Kalesi ve Columbarium: Ağrı Dağı’nın Kuzey Eteğindeki Minuahinili (Karakouyunlu) Kenti, Olba 25, 161–182.Search in Google Scholar

Radner, K. (2012): Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Muṣaṣir, Kumme, Ukku and Šubria – the Buffer States between Assyria and Urartu. In: S. Kroll/C. Gruber/U. Hellwag/M. Roaf/P. Zimansky (ed.), Biainili-Urartu: The Proceedings of the Symposium held in Munich 12–14 October 2007 / Tagungsbericht des Münchner Symposiums 12–14 Oktober 2007 (ActIr. 51), Leuven, 243–264.Search in Google Scholar

Salvini, M. (1984): Documenti. In: P.E. Pecorella/M. Salvini (ed.) Tra lo Zagros e l’Urmia: ricerche storiche ed archeologiche nell’Arzebaigian iraniano (Incunabula Graeca 78), Rome, 53–136.Search in Google Scholar

Salvini, M. (2006): Urartu Tarihi ve Kültürü, Istanbul (transl. by B. Aksoy).Search in Google Scholar

Salvini, M. (2008): Corpus dei testi urartei. Vol. 1–3: Le iscrizioni su pietra e roccia, Rome.Search in Google Scholar

Salvini, M. (2009): The Eastern Provinces of Urartu and the Beginning of History in Iranian Azerbeijan, In: H. Sağlamtimur et al. (ed.), Altan Çilingiroğlu’na Armağan. Yukarı Denizin Kıyısında Urartu Krallığı’na Adanmış Bir Hayat / Studies in Honour of Altan Çilingiroğlu. A Life Dedicated to Urartu on the Shores of the Upper Sea, Istanbul, 497–512. Search in Google Scholar

Sevin, V. (1986): Malatya-Elazığ-Bingöl İlleri Yüzey Araştırması, 1985, AST 4, 279–300.Search in Google Scholar

Sevin, V. (1987): Elazığ-Bingöl İlleri Yüzey Araştırması, 1986, AST 5/2, 1–45.Search in Google Scholar

Sevin, V. (1989): Urartular’a Ait Dünyanın En Eski Karayolu, AnaAra. 11, 47–63. Search in Google Scholar

Tarhan, M.T./V. Sevin (1977): Van Bölgesinde Urartu Araştırmaları (I): Askerî ve Sivil Mimariye Ait Yeni Gözlemler, AnaAra. 4–5, 273–345.Search in Google Scholar

Thureau-Dangin, F. (1912): Une relation de la huitième campagne de Sargon (714 av. J.-C.) (TCL 3), Paris.Search in Google Scholar

Tiryaki, S. (2018): Urartu Krallığı’nın Batı Yayılımında Bingöl Güzergâhı. In: B. Gökce/P. Pınarcık (ed.) Eski Yakındoğu'da Ulaşım Üzerine Yazılar, Ankara, 384–411.Search in Google Scholar

van Loon, M.N. (1975): The Inscription of Ishpuini and Meinua at Qalatgah, Iran, JNES 34, 201–207.10.1086/372418Search in Google Scholar

Wilson, C. (1895): Handbook for Travellers in Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Persia, etc. London.Search in Google Scholar

Zimansky, P. (1985): Ecology and Empire: The Structure of the Urartian State (SAOC 41), Chicago.Search in Google Scholar

Zimansky, P. (1990): Urartian Geography and Sargon’s Eighth Campaign, JNES 49, 1–21.10.1086/373416Search in Google Scholar

Published Online: 2021-11-30
Published in Print: 2021-11-05

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 25.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/aofo-2021-0013/html
Scroll to top button