PARA TV - Urartu: The Forgotten Kingdom (2020)

In the modern world, we can often hear about ancient Egypt, Sumer, Babylon, but very few have heard about the kingdom of Urartu, referred to in the Bible as the land of Ararat. Everyone remembers from the sacred texts that the righteous Noah found the salvation of the human race in the mountains of Ararat.
Urartu, an early first millennium BC kingdom located in the Armenian highlands, was first discovered in the 19th century and became a worldwide sensation for its rich cultural heritage. Due to its animosity with Assyria, it was militaristic society and is thought to be the first kingdom to convert form bronze to iron weaponry leading Assyria to quickly follow suit. According to the scientists' latest discoveries, the inhabitants of Urartu, along with the Sumerians, had advanced culture, economy, astronomy and religious life, and the art of architecture was unsurpassed throughout the ancient world. The kingdom is also known for an aqueduct, the Channel of Semiramis, a remarkable engineering feat for it's time. The main influence of Urartian culture, especially letters, fell on the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids, who fought Alexander the Great. Many elements of Urartian art can be seen in the architecture of ancient Greece.