Altıntepe: The Urartian Citadel of the Erzincan Plain

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1. What is Altıntepe?
2. How do you get to Altıntepe?
3. When is the best time to visit Altıntepe?
4. What is the history of Altıntepe?
5. What is Altıntepe famous for?
6. What can you see at Altıntepe?
7. Frequently asked questions about Altıntepe
8. What do the official records say about Altıntepe?

What is Altıntepe?

Altıntepe (“Golden Hill”) is a natural hill about 60 m high rising from the eastern end of the Erzincan plain, crowned by the ruins of an Urartian citadel. The 2002 inventory calls it one of the best-preserved Urartian cities to have survived to the present day. Inside two rings of walls, archaeologists uncovered a temple and palace complex, a large columned hall, storerooms, an open-air shrine and three underground tomb chambers.

The Urartians ruled a kingdom centred on Lake Van from the 9th to the 6th centuries BC (see our guide to Urartu). Altıntepe was one of their western provincial centres, guarding the road along the upper Euphrates. Its ivories, bronze shields and helmets, and wall paintings are some of the finest Urartian art known.

How do you get to Altıntepe?

Altıntepe is about 14–15 km east of Erzincan city centre, around 100 m north of the Erzincan–Erzurum road, in the Üzümlü district. The hill is easy to spot from the road. Take a taxi or drive; the inventory notes that it is only a short way off the main highway.

It combines well with a drive east to the Mama Hatun Complex in Tercan on the same road.

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When is the best time to visit Altıntepe?

Late spring to early autumn. The summit is exposed, with no shade, so go in the morning or late afternoon in July and August. In winter the hill is often snow-covered and the paths can be muddy or icy.

The site has been converted into an open-air museum, popularly called the “archaeopark”, with walking paths laid out across the summit. In early 2025 landscaping was still being completed before a formal opening, so check locally about access and hours before making a special trip.

What is the history of Altıntepe?

The Urartians built the citadel in the 8th century BC, and the hundreds of objects found here date from roughly 850 to 590 BC. Bronze objects inscribed in cuneiform bear the names of Urartian kings. After the fall of Urartu the hill was reused, and in the Byzantine period a church floored with mosaics was built on it.

Scientific excavation began in 1959 under Professor Tahsin Özgüç of Ankara University, who worked here until 1967–68. The inventory records that his team uncovered the temple-palace complex protected by two concentric walls, tombs, houses and many archaeological objects. Excavation and conservation resumed in the early 2000s under Mehmet Karaosmanoğlu of Atatürk University, together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and continued until about 2019–2020. The site has since been arranged as an open-air museum.

What is Altıntepe famous for?

• Urartian art. Ivory and metal objects, helmets, shields, ceramics and wall paintings from the high point of Urartian art. The inventory notes that figures and motifs of gods, people and animals have an important place among the finds.
• The apadana. A large hall whose roof was carried on columns, used for receptions.
• The tombs. Three underground tomb chambers inside the hill.
• Museum pieces. The most important finds are in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara; more recent finds, such as pottery, horse-harness fittings, furniture mounts and arrowheads, are in the Erzincan Museum.

What can you see at Altıntepe?

The walls and gate. Parts of the inner citadel walls and the gate of the inner fortress have been exposed and consolidated.

The temple. The Urartian temple, part of the temple-palace complex at the heart of the citadel.

The columned hall. The foundations of the audience hall, with the bases of the columns that held up its roof.

The open-air shrine and storehouse. The foundations of an open-air temple and a storage building complete the Urartian buildings on the summit.

The church. Remains of a later church whose mosaic floor was decorated with animal figures.

The view. From the top you look across the whole Erzincan plain to the Munzur Mountains in the south and the Keşiş range in the north, and you can see why the Urartians chose this hill.

Frequently asked questions about Altıntepe

What do the official records say about Altıntepe?

It is 15 km from the city centre, 100 m north of the Erzincan–Erzurum highway. It is one of the most solid Urartian cities to have survived to the present day. In the scientific excavations and research carried out in 1959 under the direction of Professor Tahsin Özgüç, a temple-palace complex protected by two concentric fortress walls, tombs, houses and a great number of archaeological objects were uncovered.

Among the works of the 8th century BC found on the mound are ivory and metal objects, helmets and shields, ceramics and wall paintings. Kings’ names were found on bronze objects with cuneiform inscriptions. The high-quality works belonging to the brilliant period of Urartian art are displayed in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara. The remains of Altıntepe consist of a temple-palace complex, a columned reception hall, an open-air temple, three tombs and a storage building. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Erzincan Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)