It’s easy to see why the early first-millennium B.C. Urartians chose the Rock of Van as their capital. Here, in eastern Anatolia, the surrounding mountains form an almost impregnable barrier. Although Van was less than 100 miles from the great Assyrian capital of Nineveh, the war-like Assyrians, try as they might, were never able … Continue reading Destinations: The Impregnable Rock of Van