Archaeological excavations at Kef Castle, a 2,300-meter-high (7,546-foot) Urartian stronghold overlooking Lake Van in eastern Türkiye, are uncovering architectural remains and artifacts that are providing fresh insights into the region's ancient past and suggesting the site served not only military and administrative purposes but also religious ceremonies.

The castle, located in Bitlis' Adilcevaz district on the slopes of Mount Süphan, was commissioned by Urartian King Rusa II on a strategic hill overlooking Adilcevaz, the Malazgirt Plain and Lake Van. Excavations are being carried out with the permission and support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Led by İsmail Coşkun of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University's Department of Archaeology, the excavation team is working to uncover the architectural layout of the fortress, much of which was destroyed by a powerful earthquake followed by a fire.

This season, archaeologists have focused on an upper hall where eight massive stone column bases were uncovered last year, along with adjoining rooms believed to have functioned as a storage area and a kitchen. Excavations have revealed architectural remains, pottery fragments, beads, ash layers and other artifacts.

Coşkun said the team has now cleared the hall down to its floor level and expanded work into the connected rooms.

"Last year, we uncovered eight column bases in the hall. This year, we are excavating the rooms connected to it," he said. "We identified a room that we believe served as a storage area and an adjacent kitchen. During the excavations, we found beads and inscribed pottery. We also determined that this section of the fortress was abandoned after a major earthquake triggered a fire."

The multidisciplinary excavation team includes archaeologists, geologists, art historians, anthropologists, political scientists, philosophers and historians of religion. Studies are continuing to decipher cuneiform inscriptions found on some of the pottery fragments.

According to Coşkun, the fortress was built during the reign of Rusa II, the son of Argishti, atop a volcanic hill at an altitude of 2,300 meters, making it one of Türkiye's highest archaeological excavation sites.

"The evidence we have obtained indicates that, in addition to its military and administrative functions, the fortress may also have served a religious purpose," Coşkun said. "We believe religious ceremonies were held here."

He added that the discoveries are expected to contribute significantly to understanding the historical importance of both Bitlis and Adilcevaz while shedding new light on the Urartian civilization that once dominated eastern Anatolia.