Bastam Citadel
Bastam (Persian بسطام; Bastam, Urartian Rusai URU.TUR ) is a major Urartian fortress dating from the 7th century BC It is named after the nearby nearby village and is located in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan.
Location
Bastam is located in the extreme north-west of Iran, 50 km north of the city of Khoy, near the borders with Turkey and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The city has, as calculated in 2012, 7881 inhabitants.
The ancient fortress located on a 1300 m above sea level, situated rocky ridge high above the modern village on the left bank of the Aq- Çay. The latter served via a channel system in Urartian time to irrigate the fertile Qara Zia ed- Din level. In addition to the control of the adjacent level, the function of the fortress consisted in securing the east -west link between the capital Tuspa (now Van ) with the Urartian areas in present-day Azerbaijan and Armenia.
History
As excavations in the area of the village showed Bastam been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC. In the 9th century BC, the territory became part of the Urartian Empire. At this time, a small fortress was built, which later gave way to the Citadel. Importance was Bastam only in the first half of the 7th century BC, when the Urartian king Rusa II reorganized his kingdom. Under his residences Ayanıs, Kefkalesı and Karmir Blur Bastam presented by far the strongest fortress dar. After Tuspa Bastam Urartian fortress was the largest ever. Nevertheless, the fortress was still probably conquered during the reign of Rusas Scythians, burned and never rebuilt.
Discovery and excavation
Getting information about the fortress date from the inscription of a foundation, allegedly from the village Bastam, which was published in 1910. The actual origin was first discovered in 1967 by Wolfram Kleiss from the German Archaeological Institute, Tehran Branch. Kleiss his excavations of the DAI in 1969 and 1978. 1999, the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization ( ICHO ) continued the excavations.
The fortress covers an area of about 800 by 400 m and v. is divided into a lower, middle and upper citadel. The defensive walls are lined with rectangular towers and pillars. All the buildings are made of dried mud bricks on stone foundations high. The royal residence was located in the upper citadel 150 v. m above the plane. During the excavation of some areas were found fragments of painted wall plaster.
On botanical remains grape seeds, almonds, apricot, lime fruit, grains, legumes, millet and sesame were found.