Anatolia & CaucasusAsia

Urartu

Also known as Kingdom of Van

c. 860 – c. 590 BCE · about 270 years approximate dates

Urartu was an Iron Age kingdom around Lake Van in the Armenian Highlands and a long-time rival of Assyria. It is known for its fortresses and irrigation works and was eventually overrun, probably by the Medes, in the early 6th century BCE.

Key facts

Dates	c. 860 – c. 590 BCE
Region	Anatolia & Caucasus
Continent	Asia
Capital	Tushpa (Van)
Religion(s)	Urartian religion
Peak extent	≈ 0.2 million km² (c. 800 BCE) – source

Before & after

Followed by

Median Empire Kingdom of Armenia

Sources

Wikipedia – Urartu
Wikipedia – List of largest empires

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.