They gave, in fact, enormous importance to During the time of the co‐regency between Išpuini and Minua (c. 820–810 BCE) the most important military expeditions were directed eastward, beyond the Zagros range. The Karagündüz stela (CTU A 3‐9) records a single campaign directed against Mešta and three other cities, and the land of Paršua, an early mention of Persian tribes. The name of the city of Mešta is the link with the plain between Nagadeh and Miyandoab, south of Lake Urmia in Iranian Azerbaijan. In fact, it is mentioned also in the later inscription of Minua in Taštepe (CTU A 5‐10). Thus I suggested the identification of Mešta with Tappeh Hasanlu (in Pecorella and Salvini 1984: pp. 19–21) because it was the main city in that region at the end of the ninth century BCE (Salvini 1993). This seems to fit well with the burned level of Hasanlu IV and with its radio‐carbon dating (Muscarella 2012). However, one cannot exclude an alternative identification with another site, for example Nagadeh, in the same region, but this would not change the matter. Even Paršua, or part of it, should be located in this period not far from the southern shore of Lake Urmia. But this contrasts with the location of Paršua (RlA s.v.) further to the south, even on the basis of the Assyrian texts of the ninth century BCE itself (Salvini 2009).
The Urartian presence at Hasanlu, in level IIIb, has to be stressed particularly: the so‐called “Fortification Wall II” was built by the Urartians around the eighth century BCE (Dyson 1989: pp. 6–7). Moreover, with regard to the northwestern shores of Lake Urmia, we must add the presence of the Urartians in the valley of Salmas, as is attested by level III at Haftavan Tappeh (Burney 1971).
The Citadel of Van Kalesi and Its Historical Monuments
The acropolis of the Urartian capital lies on the central section of the rocky crest (Figure 26.2). Situated on the highest point of the rock (approximately 90 m), its perimeter follows the line of the rock, as may clearly be noted from the south side.
The northern wall of the citadel reveals different building phases. The great size and quality of the squared‐off stone blocks at the base of the wall show similarities with the “Sardursburg” and must date back to the time of Sarduri I, although we do not have a foundation inscription to confirm this.
On the southern slope of Van Kalesi are the chambers of Horhor, the main monument left to us by Argišti I, son of Minua (André‐Salvini and M. Salvini 1992, with previous bibliography). The long inscription of his annals with the deeds of the king, decorating the entrance of this rock mausoleum, is the most extensive document in Urartian cuneiform epigraphy (CTU A 8‐3). Not only the conquests in Transcaucasia and in northern Iran are celebrated here but even the foundation of two important towns in Armenia, namely Erebuni and Argišti
The Annals of Sarduri II in Hazine Kapisi (CTU A 9‐1‐3)
On the northern slope of the eastern sector of Van Rock the Russian expedition of 1916 unearthed the famous text of the Annals of Sarduri II, son of Argišti (Marr and Orbeli 1922). The first successful military expeditions of this king, who reigned between 755 and c. 730 BCE, are summarized at the beginning of his annals: the conquest of the lands Ueliku
The expedition against Miliṭia (modern Malatya), recalled in the annals (in CTU A 9‐1 rev.), was recorded on the rock (CTU A 9‐4) overlooking the Euphrates on the bank opposite to the Melitene. Beyond the Euphrates, in the region of Commagene (Assyrian Kummu
The Urartian expansion in Iranian Azerbaijan, toward the Caspian sea, is testified by the rock inscription (CTU A 9‐8) and the fortress of Seqendel (Kleiss and Kroll 1980), east of Tabriz, recording the conquest of the country of Puluadi and its capital city Libliuni together with many fortresses. In the Annals of Sarduri (CTU A 9‐3 D 8‐13) the same episode is narrated.
The War Between Rusa I and Sargon for the Control of Northwestern Iran
The Assyrian sources tell us that under Rusa I (c. 730–713 BCE), the contacts between Urartians and Mannaeans became more intense, and we can assume the existence of a direct influence of Urarṭu on the northern Mannaean territories: a kind of protectorate. The Mannaean prince Metatti of Zikirtu is presented as a vassal of king Rusa, and this situation soon led to a war with Assyria (Salvini in Pecorella and Salvini 1984: pp. 35–51).
During Rusa I's reign, west Azerbaijan was the center of important historical events (RlA s.v. Rusa). The three bilingual stelae erected by Rusa I on both sides of the Zagros range (CTU A 10‐3, 4, 5) show that the road along the western shore of the Urmia lake and through the pass of Kelišin was still the main access route of the Urartians through the Zagros to the city and temple of Muṣaṣir. The common text of those three documents tells us of the defeat of the local king Urzana, who had behaved like an enemy against Rusa, preventing him from entering
Rusa was at the height of his power: he had conquered the lands in Transcaucasia, at the expense of the tribes living beyond Lake Sevan (CTU A 10‐2). Moreover, he ruled a large part of the Mannaean territory and Muṣaṣir, even reaching the valley of the Lesser Habur river.
But Rusa's “days of joy” were suddenly interrupted by two political‐military catastrophes, which would be fatal to him. These are the Cimmerian invasion and Sargon's Eighth Campaign in 714 BCE (Thureau‐Dangin 1912). The relative chronology of the two events, as well as their “geography,” is controversial (one can read the different opinions in Biainili‐Urartu 2012).
The news of a military clash between Urar
