Izirtu

Izirtu, Izirta, and Zirtu, the capital of the Manneans, located in the village of Qalaychi, which is situated about 7 kilometers northeast of the city of Bukan, has been referred to several times in Assyrian texts. This region has been a subject of dispute between Urartu and Assyria. Izirtu was at least the capital of Mannaea from 828 BC to the end of the 7th century BCE. Based on the excavations and the artifacts found in this area, some archaeologists like Ehsan Yaghmaei believe that Qalaychi Hill is the same as Izirtu. One prominent aspect of Mannean art is the unparalleled finesse and beauty that is unique in contemporary civilizations. Their renowned art involved making glazed bricks, some of which have survived nearly intact for about 3000 years. A very beautiful example of these bricks can be found in the Tokyo National Museum, with approximately 400 glazed bricks discovered in this area so far, indicating the high significance of Qalaychi and likely identifying this area as the city of Zirtu or Izirtu, the capital of the Manneans. In December 2020, 49 glazed bricks from Qalaychi Hill in Bukan were transferred from Switzerland to the National Museum of Iran. The number of bricks found from Qalaychi Bukan amounts to 450 pieces.