Tıkızlı Urartu Castle and Necropolis Area

History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore Tıkızlı Castle, located in the north of the Manzikert Plain, was founded in the 8th century BC by the Urartian Kingdom in order to protect the agricultural richness of the region and to control the transition from the Lake Van basin to the Caucasus. The city walls built with huge cyclopean stone blocks, the inner castle foundations and the surrounding ancient necropolis area display the might of Urartian military engineering. Historians state that the castle was one of the strategic accommodation points of the Seljuk pioneer troops in the region before the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features It rises on a volcanic hill at an altitude of approximately 1,620 meters. It has a panoramic location that clearly sees the magnificent silhouette of Mount Süphan. Steppe vegetation and volcanic basalt stones dominate. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees