Mher's Gate

Mher’s Gate, also known as Meher Kapısı, is an Urartian rock-cut sanctuary situated on Mount Zimzim, east of ancient Tušpa, near modern Van. The monument consists of a monumental rectangular niche or false doorway carved into the rock and bearing a long cuneiform inscription.The inscription was commissioned by the Urartian kings Išpuini and his son Menua in the late 9th century BCE and dedicates the “gate” to the supreme Urartian god Ḫaldi. It provides one of the principal documents for the reconstruction of Urartian religion, listing the gods of the state pantheon and the sacrifices prescribed for them…