Urartians

The Urartians were an ancient civilization that flourished around the 9th to 6th centuries BCE in what is now eastern Turkey, Armenia, and northwest Iran. They are best known for their impressive stone fortresses and advanced irrigation systems. The Urartians spoke a language related to Hurrian and practiced a polytheistic religion. Their society was largely agricultural and they engaged in trade with neighboring cultures, including the Assyrians. The Urartian kingdom eventually declined due to invasions and the rise of competing powers, but their contributions to regional history and culture remain significant.