Ancient City of Argishtikhinili

An Urartian city founded in 776 BC by King Argishti I as the northern administrative capital of Urartu, located 15 km southwest of modern Armavir, Armenia [1]. It served primarily as an economic and administrative center controlling the Ararat Plain rather than a military fortress [1] [2]. The site includes palaces, temples, and dwellings, along with an irrigation canal network between the Aras and Kasakh rivers [1]. Recent excavations have uncovered a large urn-field cemetery with cremation burials [3] [4].