Cavustepe sits on a long, narrow hill about 25 km southeast of Van. It is the best-preserved Urartian palace site outside the main fortress itself — built by King Sarduri II in the 8th century BC as a royal residence and ritual centre. The site has a temple, royal apartments, store-rooms, and a stretch of polished basalt blocks fitted together so precisely that mortar was unnecessary.
A single elderly caretaker (until recently the only person on the planet who could still read Urartian cuneiform fluently) often walks visitors through the ruins, pointing out inscriptions and explaining what the stones meant. Whether or not he is there, the views from the top of the hill out across the dry plain are worth the drive on their own.