Urartu Religion

The religion of the Urartu civilization, which flourished principally in ancient Armenia from the 9th to 6th century BCE, was a unique mix of indigenous, Hurrian and Mesopotamian gods and symbolism. The pantheon was headed by the trinity of Haldi, Teisheba, and Shivini, who were the principal beneficiaries of sacrifices and temples built in their honour. Inscriptions, dedications and representations in art are all a testimony to the importance of religion in Urartu culture and especially to warfare.

The Urartu Pantheon

The gods of the Urartu religion were many, but they are handily listed in a 9th-century BCE inscription discovered in a niche in the mountains near the capital Tushpa (Van). The list, inscribed in duplicate, mentions 79 gods and the various sacrifices which should be made to each. The large number of deities may be explained by the fact that the Urartu religion adopted gods and practices from the Hurrians and other Mesopotamian cultures, which were mixed with indigenous Urartian gods. In addition, a feature of Urartu territorial expansion was the assimilation of local gods into the official pantheon of the conquerors. Many of these local gods were totems and represented such important elements or prominent natural features as water, earth, the sun, mountains, caves and trees. Still other deities were related to ancient animalistic beliefs.

The three most important Urartu gods were Haldi (Khaldi), god of war and the supreme deity, Teisheba, the god of storms and thunder who was likely based on the Hurrian god Teshub, and Shivini, the Sun god, who was often represented as a kneeling man holding a winged solar disk, and therefore likely inspired by the Egyptian god of the same association, Ra. Haldi's consort was Arubani (or Bagmashtu in the eastern part of Urartu, notably at Musasir/Ardini), the most important female goddess; Teisheba's consort was Huba (aka Khuba), and Shivini's was Tushpuea (aka Tushpues). The close cultural relations between Urartu and Assyria are again illustrated by the Urartian application of the Assyrian ideograms for the gods Adad and Shamsh to their own gods Teisheba and Shivani respectively.

Other important gods include Sielardi, the moon goddess, Epaninaue, the land goddess, Dsvininaue, a sea or water goddess, Babaninaue, the goddess of mountains, and Sardi, the star goddess. Most towns were given their own local god or goddess who was often named after the settlement, e.g. “the god of the town of Kumanu”. The most famous examples of such naming conventions were the capital Tushpa named after Tushpuea and the important city of Teishebaini, founded and named after Teisheba by king Rusa II (r. c. 685-645 BCE).

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pocky time!! just a fun little doodle first one's a collab with vanissimo @ twitter and second one was done completely by her!

I realized why I've been so bitchy about life recently - I've run out of museums to visit

Why we choose Erebuni Medical Academy Armenia ?

Erebuni Medical Academy Armenia, located in the capital Yerevan and founded in 2019, is a leading medical institution in the country. It offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and public health.

The school received a high rating from the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia and is also affiliated with the Ministry of Health, State Medical University and Yerevan State Medical University.

Erebuni Medical University is located in Yerevan, Armenia and provides a six-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) course. It has necessary facilities like library, computer lab and clinical skills lab for students to use.

At the Academy, students have the opportunity to explore both the MBBS and Dental education programs in a stimulating learning environment. These courses provide comprehensive coverage of all medical related topics and adhere to all guidelines from respected international organizations such as WHO, NMC and many others.

Here, all standards are met in terms of internship opportunities in leading clinics in Armenia, and at the same time they are equipped with modern medical technology and a well-equipped laboratory for practical exercises.

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni

Today's sapphic book of the day is Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni!

Summary: "An Armenian-American woman rediscovers her roots and embraces who she really is in this vibrant and heartfelt queer rom-com by debut author Taleen Voskuni.

When Nar’s non-Armenian boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys, she realizes it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance.

Enter her mother: armed with plenty of mom-guilt and a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked Armenian men, she convinces Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it’s not the mom-approved playboy doctor or wealthy engineer who catches her eye—it’s Erebuni, a woman as equally immersed in the witchy arts as she is in preserving Armenian identity. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her wingwoman, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure. Who knew cooking up kuftes together could be so . . . sexy?

Erebuni helps Nar see the beauty of their shared culture and makes her feel understood in a way she never has before. But there’s one teeny problem: Nar’s not exactly out as bisexual. The clock is ticking on Nar’s double life, though—the closing event banquet is coming up, and her entire extended family will be there, along with Erebuni. Her worlds will inevitably collide, but Nar is determined to be brave, determined to claim her happiness: proudly Armenian, proudly bisexual, and proudly herself for the first time in her life."

The "Birth certificate" of Yerevan (old name Erebuni), capital of Armenia, is a cuneiform inscription at the Erebuni Fortress left by the King of Urartu on a basalt stone slab about the foundation of the city in 782 BC. 

 Translation : By order of God Khaldi, Argishti, the son of Menua says, "I built this inaccessible fortress and named it Erebuni for the power of Biaina country and to the horror of enemy countries. The land was deserted, there was nothing built. I did powerful feats here, and 6600 soldiers were resettled from Khale and Tsupane countries here by me." 

 It was carved on basalt and now preserved in Yerevan’s Erebuni Museum.

Book Review: Sorry Bro by Taleen Voskuni

This book meant more to me than I expected. like I knew I was excited for this book but before I knew about the book, I wasn't craving Armenian representation. but wow, reading this was fantastic. sure, there were a lot of things I couldn't relate to (as it goes with any group of people, each experience is unique ofc) but it was such a delight to read.

This is a coming out story. I know there are queer people who are done with those stories, and that's okay, this book is not for you. but I loved this coming out story and how messy it was. I thought it was well executed. And also can people please not harass the author about writing a queer story? Please and thank you.

I loved Nareh as a lead character, her journey was incredibly satisfying and was so well developed. I enjoyed watching her learn about herself and her family and her community. I did want her to talk about her hair more though, but that's personal 🤣.

As many romance novels about specific communities, there is the trend of how important food is and the vivid descriptions and Sorry, Bro had lots of food appreciation present!! I actually wasn't familiar with a lot of the foods (maybe if I heard them spoken or seen them I would have, I'm not used to seeing these dishes spelled out) but I did know enough to be able to imagine the taste quite vividly. Also, string cheese was in here, and not the sticks from the store. I was so hungry reading this book!!!

I thought the central conflict was well developed and executed. the romance was fast moving, but most of them in this genre are in the first place, so that's not new. I liked that Nareh's relationship with her mother was at the forefront as well as her romantic relationship with Erebuni.

I also love love love reading sapphic love stories.

This really made my heart happy and I hope other people find it as compelling and charming as I did.

5 out of 5 stars, recommended for those who enjoy a delightful romance, especially filled with food.

on my wlw romance bullshit again... this time with this very bisexual book by armenian-american taleen voskuni. i enjoyed this read specifically for its focus on the protagonist's second-generation armenian identity which she comes into through san francisco's own explore armenia. i'll say that as a romance novel it's rather lacking, with very little insight into who the love interest, erebuni, really is–in many ways, erebuni acts as the perfect hero to assuage many of the protagonist's bad choices, which to be clear i absolutely enjoy in a romance novel but there's no sizzling clash of identities or real passion that i usually seek in romance here. the 'bad guys' of the novel are painted in a similar light. be they the tech bros at nareh's work or the turkish nationalists that gatecrash explore armenia, they're all very simple characters that serve to propel nareh's journey but not more than that.

overall a bit of a disappointing read but i enjoyed the portrayal of bisexuality in armenian context and all the elements of armenian heritage and language very elegantly weaved into the story. also am still gagged over the cover art. possibly one of the most beautiful romance books i own.

I'm at my cousin's wedding, in Erebuni's arms, which is right where I want to be.

Taleen Voskuni, from Sorry, Bro

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: An Armenian-American woman rediscovers her roots and embraces who she really is in this vibrant and heartfelt queer rom-com by debut author Taleen Voskuni. When Nar’s non-Armenian boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys, she realizes it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance. Enter her mother: armed with plenty of mom-guilt and a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked Armenian men, she convinces Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it’s not the mom-approved playboy doctor or wealthy engineer who catches her eye—it’s Erebuni, a woman as equally immersed in the witchy arts as she is in preserving Armenian identity. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her wingwoman, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure. Who knew cooking up kuftes together could be so . . . sexy? Erebuni helps Nar see the beauty of their shared culture and makes her feel understood in a way she never has before. But there’s one teeny problem: Nar’s not exactly out as bisexual. The clock is ticking on Nar’s double life, though—the closing event banquet is coming up, and her entire extended family will be there, along with Erebuni. Her worlds will inevitably collide, but Nar is determined to be brave, determined to claim her happiness: proudly Armenian, proudly bisexual, and proudly herself for the first time in her life.

Review:

After turning down her long time boyfriend’s proposal, Nara decides to get closer to her roots and discover what and who she wants, even if it is the most unexpected person. Narah has finally realized she has had enough when her non-Armenian boyfriend proposes to her in a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys. She realizes he is not what she wants and she wants to find someone who actually shares her idea of romance. So she decides to let her mom find the perfect partner for her, but that means she has to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city perfect for meeting new people. But the person who immediately catches her attention isn’t a wealthy handsome doctor or engineer, but rather Erebuni, a witchy woman who is not only intelligent but dedicated to preserving the arts and her Armenian identity. Narah and Erebuni hit it off immediately, but this is the first time Nar has actually started going out with a woman. Now she is struggling to come out to her community and family while also finally embracing her own culture. Nar is finally embracing her bisexual identity but does she have the courage to make the big step and come out? While she is dealing with this she is also dealing with being constantly overlooked at work and trying to connect to her culture. This was an interesting one because Nar is dealing with a lot on her plate, from trying to come out to dealing with the potential fall out of what could happen when she does. The more she prolongs coming out and the more her lies grow and get out of hand the worse it gets, it was especially difficult to read about what she decided to do when her lies come out and how she threw her partner under the bus. In the end it all works out, but it really was a not so great falling out and honestly if I were Erebuni I wouldn’t have gotten back with Nar after what she said and did. Overall, if you are looking for a romance story about a woman embracing her bisexual identity and her own culture, give this one a go.

Daily Book - Sorry, Bro

Sorry, Bro Taleen Voskuni Adult Romance, 2023, 354 pg Armenian-American bisexual female MC x Wiccan Armenian-American bisexual female LI

When Nar’s non-Armenian boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys, she realizes it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance.

Enter her mother: armed with plenty of mom-guilt and a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked Armenian men, she convinces Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it’s not the mom-approved playboy doctor or wealthy engineer who catches her eye—it’s Erebuni, a woman as equally immersed in the witchy arts as she is in preserving Armenian identity. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her wingwoman, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure. Who knew cooking up kuftes together could be so . . . sexy?

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Nareh: *To herself* Just be cool, Just be cool, Just be cool

Erebuni: Hey

Nareh: I love you!

How is the Erebuni Medical University for study mbbs ?

Erebuni Medical University is a leading medical institution in Armenia. It was founded in 2019 and is located in the capital city of Yerevan. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and public health.

It is one of the top rated medical schools in Armenia and is accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia. The Medical University is affiliated with the Ministry of Health of Armenia, the State Medical University of Armenia and the Yerevan State Medical University.

The university offers a six-year medical program leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD). The university has a library, a computer lab and a clinical skills lab. The school is located in Yerevan, Armenia.

Erebuni and other Yerevan sights

Ancient Erebuni fortress sits high on a hill overlooking modern Yerevan. King Argishti I of Urartu built this site in 782BC to house a garrison of 6,600 soldiers, the first settlement on this side of the Arax river, so in some ways Erebuni was the precursor of Yerevan. The kings of Urartu used Erebuni for only around a hundred years before Rusa II chose a different site to house his…

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New Post has been published on https://massispost.com/2024/02/two-killed-others-injured-after-explosion-destroys-houses-in-armenian-capital/

Two Killed, Others Injured After Explosion Destroys Houses in Armenian Capital

YEREVAN — An explosion in Yerevan’s Erebuni district has left at least two people dead and two injured. The explosion and the subsequent collapse that occurred Monday morning at 34 Nor Aresh Street in Yerevan, resulted in in the death of A man and his wife, rescuers pulled out an 86-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man from under the ruins and rushed them to a hospital. “Police received the 911 call on an explosion at 11:36.  The rescuers dispatched to the scene took out Hrant Sargsyan (born in 1994) and Roza Nazaryan (born in 1938) from the rubble, and they…

Erebuni Medical Academy Foundation receives QAHE Accreditation

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