GÖKCE LAKE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS ACCORDING TO URARTIAN WRITTEN TEXTS

ABSTRACT Gökçe Göl, which means Blue Lake, is located in eastern Armenia. It is surrounded by long mountain ridges separating Armenia from Georgia and Azerbaijan, and to the south by the Akhmangan volcanic plateau, which in places reaches an elevation of approximately 12,000 feet. The lake itself is 6,340 feet high and has freshwater. Salmon trout, known as Ishkhan or "Prince Fish," are also present. Our article, "Gökçe Göl and Its Surroundings According to Urartian Written Texts," examines the written history of the lake's immediate surroundings. Following an examination of Urartian and Assyrian inscriptions, it has been understood that the region's written history began with the Urartian Kingdom. In this context, based on tablet number 6.1.3 found near present-day Iğdır-Taşburun, it can be said that Urartian influence reached the Gökçe Göl area during the reign of Menua. Among the texts we examined are inscriptions that remain within the borders of present-day Armenia, including texts 7.1.5, 7.1.8, and 8.1.6. These inscriptions were translated by Margaret Payne and incorporated into ancient history and are included in our study. The texts mention place names, and suggestions for their localization have been made by scholars such as Dianokoff, Kashkai, and Salvini. The opinions of these scholars are also included. Thus, our study utilizes the fields of philology and historical geography as methods. Our analysis concludes that various cities and states existed in the region during the Urartian period. However, it has been understood that there was no power in the region that could politically oppose or rival the Urartian or Assyrian Kingdoms. The Urartian texts also indicate the establishment of cities within Armenia. Considering that Scythian and Cimmerian communities arrived via the Caucasus, it can be argued that this was also a means of establishing a defense against attacks from the Caucasus. Keywords: Urartu, Gökçe Lake, Iğdır, Assyria, Urartu inscriptions