Canal system at the Erebuni fortress

The canal system at the Erebuni fortress, discovered by a joint Armenian-French archaeological expedition.

Erebuni was built in 782 BC by Argishti I, king of Urartu. The name of Yerevan derives from Erebuni, and that year is considered the founding date of the capital. The ruins of the fortress and its museum are in the city’s Erebuni administrative district. According to linguists, the name means “victory” or “capture”. The fortress was a major military garrison of Urartu on its northern border and, after Van, the country’s second largest economic, political and cultural centre. Excavations uncovered a palace with wall paintings, a temple of the chief god Khaldi, dwellings and storerooms.

The photograph shows the excavated area with stone walls, steps and a stone-lined channel.