A 3-room Urartian tomb carved into the rock for presenting gifts to the gods was discovered in the Ercis district of Van.
Van Museum Director Fatih Arap and Van Yuzuncu Yil University (YYÜ) Faculty of Letters Archeology Department Head Prof. Dr. Rafet Cavusoglu conducted research in the Madavank region, which is registered as an Immovable Cultural Heritage in Çelebibağı District, within the scope of studies to identify historical buildings in the region.
During this study, it was determined that there was an Urartian tomb with 3 rooms in the area close to the area where the Urartian worship area emerged as a result of the withdrawal of Lake Van.
Cavusoglu and Arap made an examination in the area where there were bone and ceramic pieces around, and the gendarmerie teams took security measures to prevent the tomb from being destroyed.
Tomb of the Urartian Period
Cavusoglu said in a statement; “The tomb, which is entered with the classical dromos (the name given to the tomb entrances) of the Urartian period, has two small rooms on the right and left of the main room, and there are 3 niches where the dead gifts were left. The chamber tomb, which was opened into a calcareous rock, reflects the classical characteristics of the Urartians. It has been used for a long time. It is possible to say that the entrance is partially destroyed by treasure hunters, but it is understood from the traces on it that it was opened from a very old period.”
“A Chamber Tomb We See for the First Time”
Emphasizing that the tomb is an important remnant in terms of Urartian architecture, Çavuşoğlu said, “The three-room chamber tomb is entered through an oval arched door. Then there is a small chamber on the left and right. It is not a well-known practice, but a channel for liquid libation was opened just above the entrance. “It is a chamber tomb we have seen for the first time. The important thing for us is that the tomb consists of 3 rooms, two rectangular openings above the entrance and liquid libation were made here,” he said.
