The Van Museum (Van Müzesi) holds the best collection of Urartian material outside Ankara, drawn from the dozens of fortress and palace sites that dot Van Province. Bronzes (cauldrons, weapons, votives), gold and silver jewellery, cuneiform tablets, and architectural fragments from the citadel itself fill the main galleries.
A second wing covers the ethnographic and Islamic-era history of the region, with Kurdish carpets, Ottoman manuscripts, and weapons. The museum was rebuilt and reopened in 2019 after the original was damaged by the 2011 earthquake. It is small, well-lit, and a good first stop before climbing the citadel.