Images

This calcite cylinder seal depicts the myth of Etana, the shepherd and the legendary king of Uruk, who was carried up to heaven by an eagle to obtain an heir. Etana's ascent is watched by the shepherd and his dog, with two markhor-type goats...

Mithridates VI ruled Pontus and Armenia minor 120-63 BCE. Here, he is depicted as Heracles wearing the skin of the Nemean Lion. (Louvre Museum, Paris)

Gold coin depicting Orontes I of the Orontid Dynasty, who ruled Armenia from 401-344 BCE. Coin dates to 362 BCE. (Bibliotheque National France) There is some contradiction as to whether this is actually Orontes I or Orontes II.

Tetradrachm coin depicting King Artavasdes II, a member of the Artaxiad dynasty, who ruled the kingdom of Armenia from c. 56- c. 34 BCE.

Near Amberd Fortress are the ruins of bathhouses, which were popular among Armenia's elite in the Middle Ages. This bath, which is located near Vahramashen Church, was likely built in the 10th-11th centuries CE. Like other baths in medieval...

Although the architecture of Amberd Fortress in what is present-day Armenia looks simple, its medieval walls were constructed from massive basalt tiles, which protected the fortress invasions and sieges. Some walls remain as thick as 4 m...

Amberd Fortress, in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia, has a long and rich history. Its name translates as "fortress in the clouds" in Armenian, and it sits along the slopes of Mount Aragats at an altitude of 2300 m (7546 ft). Its strategic...

Amberd Fortress, in the Aragatsotn province of Armenia, has a long and rich history. Its name translates as "fortress in the clouds" in Armenian, and it sits along the slopes of Mount Aragats at an altitude of 2300 m (7546 ft). Its strategic...

Although the architecture of Amberd Fortress in what is present-day Armenia looks simple, its medieval walls were constructed from massive basalt tiles, which protected the fortress invasions and sieges. Some walls remain as thick as 4 m...

This photo shows a view of the 11th-century CE Vahramashen Church and ruined 13th-century CE bathhouses from atop the 7th-century CE Amberd Fortress. These structures are located above the conjunction of the gorges from the Amberd and Arkashen...