Annali di Ca’ Foscari. Serie orientale

Reviving Ara the Handsome

Exploring the Protohistoric, Urartian, Orontid, and Medieval Armenian heritage of Aralesk/Kalecik in Van, Turkey

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Abstract

This article examines the archaeological site of Aralesk/Kalecik, in the Van plain (eastern Turkey), traditionally linked to Queen Semiramis. Excavated in the 1940s by an American mission, the site poses interpretative challenges. It was likely a fortified outpost controlling the northern access to the Urartian capital and shows signs of occupation during the Orontid/Achaemenid periods. The article also considers nearby evidence from protohistoric and historic phases, stressing the need for further investigation and protection of the site’s endangered remains.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Feb. 11, 2025 | Accepted: May 5, 2025 | Published July 31, 2025 | Language: en

Keywords Inscriptions • Urartu • Van Fortress • Early Bronze Age • Fortress

Copyright © 2025 Roberto Dan. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/AnnOr/2385-3042/2025/01/006