The rebuilt walls
Atop Arin Berd Hill.
Alexkom000 — CC BY 4.0 · Marcin Konsek — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexkom000 — CC BY 4.0 · ARM1999 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Alexkom000 — CC BY 4.0
Erebuni Fortress is a fortified city of the Urartian kingdom, on Arin Berd Hill in southeast Yerevan at 1,017 m. It was one of the kingdom's most important political, economic and cultural centres, and the name Yerevan itself derives from Erebuni, so this is where the capital's story begins. The Urartian king Argishti I founded it in 782 BC, on a hill overlooking the Aras valley, to protect the kingdom's northern borders. Scholars describe it as designed to be a great administrative and religious centre. Some think the word Erebuni means «capture» or «victory» in Urartian. A path climbs from the museum at the foot of the hill to the top, with partly rebuilt walls and the remains of halls, a temple and columns. From there the view opens over the city and plain. The museum shows finds from this and other Urartian sites, including cuneiform inscriptions that help make sense of the fortress. It is 4.7 km in a straight line from central Yerevan, so take a taxi, as it is hard to reach on foot. Begin at the museum and then climb. The path is exposed, so bring water and a hat in summer. The light is best in the morning or before sunset, especially when Mount Ararat shows on clear days.
Atop Arin Berd Hill.
In the museum at the foot.
The city and plain.
Arin Berd Hill, southeast Yerevan
Yerevan derives from Erebuni, the fortress Argishti I founded in 782 BC.
By taxi from the centre, 4.7 km in a straight line.