Çavuştepe

Overview

Çavuştepe is the Urartian castle that King Sarduri II founded in the mid-8th century BC, about 25 km (16 miles) southeast of Van. In its own day, its builders called it Sardurihinili, the city of Sarduri. Along one ridge, a lower and an upper castle each held a temple, and each temple served a different god. Because of that, it stands apart: no other Urartian castle has two temples to two separate gods.

Where Çavuştepe lies

Above the plain, the castle crowns two hills at the western end of the Bol mountains, in the Gürpınar district of Van. Just below it, you find the village that shares its name. From the top, it watches over the Gürpınar plain and the roads that cross it. The castle lies 10 km (6 miles) from the town of Gürpınar, and the Van–Hakkari road passes just to its north.

Quick facts

• Good for: Urartian walls, temples and cuneiform, wide views over the plain
• Best combined with: the Van Fortress, Lake Van

The History of Çavuştepe

Sardurihinili, the city of Sarduri

The kings of Urartu ruled from Tushpa, their capital on the rock that is now the Van Fortress. There, Sarduri I founded the capital in the late 9th century BC. Less than a century later, Sarduri II built this castle and gave it his own name. Like the kings before him, he has a rock tomb at Tushpa. So a visit to both sites follows one king from his castle to his grave.

Digging at Çavuştepe

In the 1960s, the archaeologist Afif Erzen began the first digs on the ridge. His report on the 1964 season came out in the same year. Digs at the necropolis to the north also taught a great deal about how the Urartians buried their dead.

What to See at Çavuştepe

The lower castle and the temple of Irmushini

To the west, the lower castle runs 800 meters (2,620 feet) along the back of the ridge. Here, walls of neatly cut limestone sit straight on the bedrock. Inside, the buildings follow one another from east to west: stables, stores, the temple, the palace and its cisterns. Around the palace lay workshops, kitchens and even a toilet. At the highest point of the lower castle stands the temple of the god Irmushini. On the outside, its door opens to the east, its front was built of basalt, and it carries an inscription in cuneiform. Nearby, a structure called Uçkale probably had a religious use as well.

The upper castle and the temple of Haldi

About 30 meters (100 feet) higher, the smaller upper castle stands on the eastern hill. Within walls of large stone blocks, it holds a square temple with a portico. This temple belonged to Haldi, the chief god of Urartu, and rooms for his cult stood around it.

Walls, cisterns and the necropolis

Altogether, the castle stretches for about 1 km (0.6 miles). On its east and west sides, two ditches cut into the rock guarded the walls. In places, the walls still stand 5 to 6 meters (16 to 20 feet) high. Inside, look for the cisterns carved into the bedrock, a water store and a postern cut through the rock. Then, about 1 km north of the castle, lies its necropolis. There, four kinds of grave came to light: chamber tombs, urn graves, sarcophagi and simple earthen graves.

Visiting Çavuştepe

How to visit Çavuştepe

Because the site lies by the Van–Hakkari road, a car or driver from Van reaches it easily. The site is open every day. We plan your drive from Van to Çavuştepe and back by the Van Fortress. Since the two castles sit on a long ridge, wear shoes for walking on rock and gravel.

Before you go

On our Urartu journey, Çavuştepe comes on the second day. First, you visit the Van Fortress, the old capital. You drive southeast to the castle of Sarduri II. The next day, the route follows the shore of Lake Van to Ahlat. If you have an extra day, add our Van and Akdamar tour to see the church on Akdamar Island.

Updated: October 26, 2026.

Seeing Çavuştepe with Us

Would you like to stand between two Urartian temples on one ridge? Our 9-day Urartu tour brings you to Çavuştepe after the Van Fortress. The ridge comes after Van Fortress, so we place it in your journey once we know your dates.