On the Early Names of Van

On the Early Names of Van

According to the 12th-century historian Vardan Areveltsi, the original name of the city of Van was Yervandavan. Historically, however, the earliest attested name of the city was Tushpa, likely pronounced Tosp. This name later became associated with the surrounding Tosp canton, where the city of Van is located.

Interestingly, Greek and Roman sources do not clearly mention the name “Van,” whereas the form Tosp is well documented.

Vardan’s claim may nevertheless have a rational basis. A nearby canton was known as Yervandunik’ (“the land of the Yervanduni”), a name that also appears in the Araratian plain, representing hereditary lands of the Yervanduni dynasty. Tosp may therefore have become the capital of this dynasty, possibly leading to the emergence of a new name associated with it.

After the decline of the Yervanduni, the city’s name may have evolved from the local Biaina term—likely pronounced Vayn—which eventually developed into the modern name Van.

Tosp served as the royal city of the Biaina dynasty (a term used by Grekyan), better known as the ruling dynasty of Urartu. Based on royal names, the Yervanduni and Biaina dynasties appear to have been distinct groups.

At some point, a shift of power from the Biaina dynasty to the Yervanduni dynasty seems to have occurred. However, the details of this transition remain unclear due to the lack of historical records.

Future archaeological research and paleogenetic studies in Tosp/Van may help clarify this dynastic transition—one that is often mistakenly interpreted as a simple shift from Urartu to Armenia.