Urartu, also known as the ‘Kingdom of Urartu’ or the ‘Kingdom of Van,’ was a civilization which developed in the Bronze and Iron Age of ancient Armenia, eastern turkey [Western Armenia], and northwestern Iran from the 9th century BCE. 'Urartu' comes from ‘Urashtu,’ the Assyrian word for the ‘Kingdom,’ and signifies “high place,” possibly referring to either the mountainous region or the culture's common practice of building fortifications on rock promontories. To the Babylonians they were ‘Uruatri,’ and to the Hebrews the kingdom was known as ‘Ararat.’