In the land of the Urartians and the Alarodians. The Kancıklı fortress and the Urartian presence in the Patnos plain, eastern Turkey

Among the numerous Urartian archaeological sites known in the northern area of the Lake Van catchment area, one of the most important is certainly that of Kancıklı. Architectural and epigraphic data allow us to hypothesize that the site dates to the time of King Minua, son of Išpuini, in the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. Despite its recognized importance due to its extension and its well-preserved walls, the site has remained on the margins of Urartian archaeological research. A new exploration conducted in 2010 permitted an overall re-evaluation of the site and its contextualization in the Urartian archaeological panorama relating to the Patnos plain. Documentation of the site is particularly important because it is threatened by new constructions, among which the most impactful is a new dam.