Urartian motifs on jewelry

Drawings on inscriptions and stones from the Urartian kingdom, which ruled in the region in the 8th century B.C., are being used by artists in the eastern province of Van. The drawings are engraved on jewelry and stones. 

The Urartian kingdom, which reigned in the Eastern Anatolian region between 900-600 B.C., is known for their skills in architecture, mining, rock carving, embossing and stonemasonry. 

Artists in Van were inspired by the Urartian artifacts unearthed during excavations in the city, such as 3,000-year-old earrings, necklaces, rings, brooches, belts and inscriptions. 

One of these artists, Ferhat Şimşek, has been engraving Urartian figures on jewelry for 10 years. He uses various decorating techniques such as coating, embossing, buckling, filigree and granulation that were used by the Urartians some 3,000 years ago. 

Stating that he had been researching historical artifacts around Van for many years, Şimşek said his interest in stones and the lifestyle of civilizations that settled in the region had started during this research. 

"Thanks to this interest, I started searching old civilizations. The engravings on old stones drew my attention. People who lived thousands of years ago left many artifacts. Then I decided to deal with this art 10 years ago. During my studies in Van's Tırişin Tableland, I saw many stone artifacts with hand-made engravings. Locals also told me that there were cigarette holders in a place nearby and I went there to take some stones. Then using these stones, I imitated the artifacts from the Hurri-Mitani civilization, which lived there 3,000 years ago, and succeeded in reaching people who are interested in these things," he said. 

Hobby becomes means of living