Editing History of Armenia (section)

===Iron Age===
{{Main|Urartu}}
[[File:Urartu 743-en.svg|thumb|right|Kingdom of Ararat (Urartu) in the time of [[Sarduri II|Sarduris II]], 743 BC|300px]]
[[File:Armenian plateau 'natural borders' by H.F.B. Lynch, 1901.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The natural borders of the Armenian plateau and its peripheral regions according to [[H. F. B. Lynch]] (1901).]]

The Kingdom of Urartu, also known as the Kingdom of Van, flourished between the 9th century BC<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gis.net/~pldr/anech.html|title=Ancient Near East Chronology|access-date=6 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219073931/http://www.gis.net/~pldr/anech.html|archive-date=19 February 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> and 585 BC<ref name="Urartu/Armenia">{{cite web|url=https://www.livius.org/arl-arz/armenia/armenia.html|title=Urartu/Armenia|access-date=6 February 2007|archive-date=3 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503192356/http://www.livius.org/arl-arz/armenia/armenia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the [[Armenian Highland]]. The founder of the Urartian Kingdom, [[Aramu|Aramé]], united all the principalities of the Armenian Highland and gave himself the title "King of Kings", the traditional title of Urartian Kings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transanatolie.com/English/Turkey/Anatolia/urartu.htm|title= Transanatolie – Kings of Urartu|access-date=6 February 2007}}</ref> The Urartians established their sovereignty over all of [[Taron (historic Armenia)|Taron]] and [[Vaspurakan]]. The main rival of Urartu was the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arcimaging.org|title=ArcImaging (Archeological Imaging Research Consortium)|access-date=6 February 2007}}</ref>

During the reign of [[Sarduri I]] (834–828 BC), Urartu had become a strong and organized state, and imposed taxes on neighbouring tribes. Sarduri made [[Tushpa]] (modern [[Van, Turkey|Van]]) the capital of Urartu. His son, [[Ishpuinis of Urartu|Ishpuinis]], extended the borders of the state by conquering what would later be known as the [[Tigranocerta]] area and by reaching [[Urmia]]. [[Menuas of Urartu|Menuas]] (810–785 BC) extended the Urartian territory up north, by spreading towards the Araratian fields. He left more than 90 inscriptions by using the Mesopotamian [[cuneiform]] writing system in the [[Urartian language]]. [[Argishtis I of Urartu|Argishti I of Urartu]] conquered [[Latakia]] from the Hittites, and reached [[Byblos]], and [[Phoenicia]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dubov |first=Kalman |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/Journey_to_the_Republic_of_Armenia/4TNREAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Argishti+I+of+Urartu+conquered+Latakia+from+the+Hittites,&pg=PT13&printsec=frontcover |title=Journey to the Republic of Armenia |date=2021-11-26 |publisher=Kalman Dubov |language=en}}</ref> He built the [[Erebuni Fortress]], located in modern-day [[Yerevan]], in 782 BC by using 6600 prisoners of war.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Piotrovsky |first=Boris |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/From_the_Lands_of_Scythians/BmJqDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=in+782+BC+by+using+6600+prisoners+of+war.&pg=PA15&printsec=frontcover |title=From the Lands of Scythians: Ancient Treasures from the Museums of the U.S.S.R., 3000 B.C.–100 B.C. |date=1975-01-01 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |pages=15 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lang |first=David Marshall |url=https://www.google.am/books/edition/Armenia_Cradle_of_Civilization/HG4MAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=in+782+BC+by+using+6600+prisoners+of+war.&dq=in+782+BC+by+using+6600+prisoners+of+war.&printsec=frontcover |title=Armenia, Cradle of Civilization |date=1980 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |isbn=978-0-04-956009-3 |pages=100 |language=en}}</ref>

In 714 BC, the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Assyrians]] under [[Sargon II]] defeated the Urartian king [[Rusa I]] at [[Lake Urmia]] and destroyed the holy Urartian temple at [[Musasir]]. At the same time, an [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] tribe called the [[Cimmerians]] attacked Urartu from the north-west region and destroyed the rest of his armies. Under [[Ashurbanipal]] (669–627 BC) the boundaries of the [[Assyrian Empire]] reached as far as Armenia and the Caucasus Mountains. The [[Medes]] under [[Cyaxares]] invaded Assyria later on in 612 BC, and then took over the Urartian capital of [[Van (Turkey)|Van]] towards 585 BC, effectively ending the sovereignty of Urartu.<ref name="Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume I">{{cite book|last=Kurdoghlian|first=Mihran|title=Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume I|publisher=Hradaragoutioun Azkayin Oussoumnagan Khorhourti|year=1994|pages=46–48|language=hy}}<!--ISSN/ISBN needed--></ref> According to the Armenian tradition, the Medes helped the Armenians establish the [[Orontid]] dynasty.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Armenia in brief |url=https://www.etnoarmenia.com/history-of-armenia-in-brief.html |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=EtnoArmenia Tours |language=it-IT}}</ref>