Musasir temple

The Musasir temple was an important Araratian temple in Musasir, the holy city of Ararat (Assyrian: Urartu), and was built in 825 BC. The Temple at Musasir appears in an Assyrian bas-relief which adorned the palace of King Sargon II at Khorsapat, to commemorate his victory over "the seven kings of Ararat" in 714 BC.^[1]

(1802 - 1870) During the early 1850s, the British Assyrian Excavation Fund entered the field under William Kennett Loftus and many antiquities and accurate drawings of wall sculptures were apportioned between the British Museum and the Louvre. However, a convoy of antiquities was attacked by Arab robbers while being shipped down the Tigris River, and today lies buried somewhere in the bed of that river. Fortunately that particular bas-relief was copied at its original location in the palace onto a drawing by Eugene Flandin(2) as Botta's chief artist.^[2]

During this period of Assyrian campaigns, the northern Araratian regions were governed by Sardur-and later by his son Rusa (Armenian: Հրաչյա Hrachya, according to Movses Khorenatsi) with the capital at Toushpa (Classical Armenian: Տոսպ Tosp) located near the great city and the capital of the mighty Kingdom of Ararat, Van (Biaina) on the eastern shore of Lake Van. Sardur placed Urzana as the governor of the spiritual center of Ararat, the Temple of [K]Haldi -- Musasir Ardini.^[3]

Twentieth century excavations

Since 1959, the Historical Society and the Department of Antiquities have conducted excavations in the Yerznka area, west of Karin. Here at Altintepe was revealed an Araratian temple and other monuments. Only the foundations of the temple are in view. Obviously this is not the temple of Musasir as it is located far away from the concerned area.^[4] Recently a site excavated in Iran, which is called Rabat Tepe and located at the southwestern side of Lake Urmia, was identified as Musasir. Another possible site is located in Iraqi Kurdistan.

References

1. ^ Armen, Garbis (1992), An Architecture of Survival, ISBN 0-9695988-0-8 
2. ^ PAUL-EMILE BOTTA'S EXCAVATIONS OF 1843 By Mark A. Kalustian
3. ^ PAUL-EMILE BOTTA'S EXCAVATIONS OF 1843 By Mark A. Kalustian
4. ^ The Armenian Review. June 1980, pp. 214-215 with illustration. An Armenian Cylinder, by Mark A. Kalustian.