Mher’s Door in Van

The photograph shows the sacred Urartian monument known as Mher’s Door, located on the rock of Van. A rectangular niche with a stepped frame is cut into the rock, and faint traces of carved lines are visible on its inner surface. Small crosses are carved on the right-hand side. Below is a printed caption in English.

The names of 79 gods and goddesses of the Urartian pantheon are carved on the stone surface, testifying to the developed religious system of the Urartian state. The monument was a site of ritual significance where sacrifices and religious ceremonies were performed. Mher’s Door is considered one of the most symbolic testimonies of Urartian spiritual culture.