Teyseba
Encyclopedia
Teyseba is located east of the town of Tsovinar
and at the south-east corner of Lake Sevan
in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia
. It is an important archaeological site because it was once a fortified city of the Urartian
Kingdom founded by Rusa I between 735-713 BC, and is considered the best preserved Urartian fortification in the Sevan basin. Amongst the ruins, stone foundations and portions of the city wall and gates are still visible. There is also an entrance to a small cave located on the western face of the hill within the ruins of Teyseba.
Carved into the rock face on a low cliff at the base of the hill which the city was built upon (located north and along the road), is an ancient cuneiform
inscription written by Rusa I. It relates that the city was built in dedication to the god Teisheba and speaks of the conquest by Rusa I of twenty-three nations as well. The etymology of Sevan was slso found in the inscription and is considered to be the first such mention of the word that now relates to the lake that the ruins are located.
It is also said that what is now a modern cemetery located on a rocky outcrop north of the village of Tsovinar, was during Urartian times an island with a small village that had been destroyed by lava flow that came up from below the lake. Local residents tell that ancient coins and bones have been found when digging new graves in the cemetery. The island has since dwindled in size.
During the medieval period, one of the lords of the land rebuilt the stone defences to serve as his fortress at the same site and it went by the name Ishkanaberd meaning "Lord's Fortress". It was taken by the lord of the nearby town of Khrber because of a dispute between the two over his wife. After destroying the fortress he said, “Now nothing shall live in this land except snakes and scorpions!” It was referred to henceforth as Odzaberd meaning “Serpent’s Fortress”.
Tsovinar, Armenia
Tsovinar is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. The name roughly translates to "beach beside the sea". East of the village is the Urartian city of Teyseba founded by Rusa I, with a cuneiform inscription nearby. It is considered to be the best preserved Urartian site in the Sevan basin...
and at the south-east corner of Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan is the largest lake in Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.Lake Sevan is situated in the central part of the Republic of Armenia, inside the Gegharkunik Province, at the altitude of 1,900m above sea level...
in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. It is an important archaeological site because it was once a fortified city of the Urartian
Urartu
Urartu , corresponding to Ararat or Kingdom of Van was an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highland....
Kingdom founded by Rusa I between 735-713 BC, and is considered the best preserved Urartian fortification in the Sevan basin. Amongst the ruins, stone foundations and portions of the city wall and gates are still visible. There is also an entrance to a small cave located on the western face of the hill within the ruins of Teyseba.
Carved into the rock face on a low cliff at the base of the hill which the city was built upon (located north and along the road), is an ancient cuneiform
Cuneiform
Cuneiform can refer to:*Cuneiform script, an ancient writing system originating in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC*Cuneiform , three bones in the human foot*Cuneiform Records, a music record label...
inscription written by Rusa I. It relates that the city was built in dedication to the god Teisheba and speaks of the conquest by Rusa I of twenty-three nations as well. The etymology of Sevan was slso found in the inscription and is considered to be the first such mention of the word that now relates to the lake that the ruins are located.
Folklore
Local folklore tells that Lake Sevan was at a much higher elevation during this time, and that the city of Teyseba had been built along its shoreline. During the Soviet era the lake was lowered 19 meters, and has now stabilized to 20 meters (65 feet) below where it once was. It is said that the cuneiform inscription had been carved into the cliff face to prevent it from being defaced. Due to the water level being so much higher at the time, the location of the inscription would have been virtually inaccessible.It is also said that what is now a modern cemetery located on a rocky outcrop north of the village of Tsovinar, was during Urartian times an island with a small village that had been destroyed by lava flow that came up from below the lake. Local residents tell that ancient coins and bones have been found when digging new graves in the cemetery. The island has since dwindled in size.
During the medieval period, one of the lords of the land rebuilt the stone defences to serve as his fortress at the same site and it went by the name Ishkanaberd meaning "Lord's Fortress". It was taken by the lord of the nearby town of Khrber because of a dispute between the two over his wife. After destroying the fortress he said, “Now nothing shall live in this land except snakes and scorpions!” It was referred to henceforth as Odzaberd meaning “Serpent’s Fortress”.