Odzaberd Fortress

Artsvanist, Armenia, Armenia

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Odzaberd Fortress (also called Odza Berd or “Serpent’s Fortress”) is an ancient Urartian citadel located on a hill just east of Tsovinar, near the village of Artsvanist in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, on the south‑eastern shore of Lake Sevan at about 1,900 meters above sea level.

The site was founded between 735 and 713 BCE by Urartian King Rusa I and dedicated to the storm god Teisheba, and it once functioned as a fortified city known as Teisheba, with massive stone walls, gates, and foundations that still outline the ancient urban layout.

At the foot of the hill stands an important cuneiform inscription made by Rusa I, which records his conquest of 23 lands and is believed to contain the oldest known written mention of the name “Sevan,” making Odzaberd a key archaeological and historical monument for understanding Urartu’s expansion and its ties to the lake basin.