An Urartian citadel founded in 782 BC by King Argishti I — a monumental beginning in the story of Yerevan.
DISCOVERErebuni Fortress was established in 782 BC on Arin Berd hill by the Urartian king Argishti I. Its foundation inscription is one of the clearest historical records connecting the ancient citadel with the long history of Yerevan.
The complex combined defensive walls, royal and ceremonial spaces, temples, storerooms and courtyards. Armenia Crystal interprets this ancient architecture through the geometry of the reconstructed fortress and the surviving archaeological plan.
Explore the origins, architecture and urban legacy of one of the most important Urartian sites in Armenia.
The fortress was founded by King Argishti I of Urartu, whose cuneiform inscription records the event.
The elevated site gave the citadel strategic control over the surrounding plain.
Stone foundations supported tall mudbrick walls, towers and monumental gateways.
The name Erebuni is closely associated with the ancient roots and historical identity of Yerevan.
Erebuni Fortress forms part of “The Urartian Heritage of Yerevan,” included on Armenia’s UNESCO Tentative List in 2025.
Reconstructed walls rise from dark stone foundations with tall earthen superstructures and rhythmic towers.
Courtyards, rooms and ceremonial zones form an irregular plan adapted to the hill.
The hilltop position connects the ancient fortress visually with the Ararat plain and modern Yerevan.
The fortress silhouette and ancient plan are translated into a luminous engraved crystal composition.
Argishti I establishes Erebuni as an Urartian royal and military center.
The fortress develops as a complex of defensive, administrative, religious and storage spaces.
Archaeological work reveals the fortress plan, inscriptions, wall paintings and architectural remains.
Erebuni is preserved as a major archaeological site and a defining landmark in the story of Armenia’s capital.
Erebuni Fortress stands on Arin Berd hill in the southeastern part of Yerevan, overlooking the Ararat plain.
Ancient architecture, reconstructed as a warm illuminated keepsake.
