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On August 29, the delegation led by the Deputy Speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly (NA) Eduard Sharmazanov visited Odzaberd Urartian settlement in Gegharkunik Province, where archaeological excavations are under way, and got acquainted with the procedure of the archaeological works.

The Head of the Archaeological Expedition, Candidate of Historical Sciences Mikayel Badalyan presented in detail the results of the ongoing excavations to the NA delegation, the press service of the Armenian Parliament reports.

First of all, the excavations conducted by the campaign led by Mikayel Badalyan are important in a sense that in Sevan South basin the castle of the Urartian period is studied, and its seizure and restoration are connected with the less studied period of the King Rusa I’s reign. This is one of the unique monuments, which gives opportunity to study the Urartian and post-Urartian historical-cultural processes in one common territory.

“Odzaberd is one of the richest cultural heritages of our people,” Mr. Sharmazanov noted and expressed readiness to assist the expedition in continuing the excavations and completing them.

The Committee Chair Hakob Hakobyan hopes that Odzaberd Urartian settlement will become one of the important sites of tourism of Gegharkunik Province in future.

The members of expedition aim at excavating the territory of the castle-settlement in future, as well as the territory of the hill situated on the south-west from the castle on the top of which cells of the mausoleums were observed, with traces of the walls noticed beneath to the bottom.