Features of the Urartian Gardens in the Context of the Relationship between Historical Urartian Irrigation Canals E. Baylan and M. Ergen Dept. of Landscape Architecture, Fac. of Agric., Univ. of Yuzuncu Yil, Van, Turkey, emelbaylan@yyu.edu.tr Abstract: During the development of human civilization, "water" has been a vital element. There has been remarkable effort to use the water for the survival and development of the mankind. These efforts shaped all aspects of life styles and power balance in the regions. The most available regions in the Near East were derived from this labor. By this time, Urartian civilization was built up with aqueducts, dams, reservoirs and irrigation canals and became an important power in (hat per od of time in Mesopotamia. Urartians chose the City of Van as the capital in the eastern part of Turkey, on the border of Iran and developed a hydraulic civilization of their period. Severe natural conditions and kingdom’s cultural features formed these hydraulic civilizations abilities and works. Taking guide the Babylon irrigation works and being in that geography resulted Urartians to make similar green areas and gardens in Urartu. These gardens which were set in that time are still forms the green areas in the City of Van. Like historical Urartian irrigation canals, these are the cultural heritage of Turkey and the world, so they shouId be converse as global values. In this sense, the aim of this paper is to redefine and display the relationship between the irrigation canals and gardens of Urartian, on a case area: Menua (Shamiram/Semiramis) Irrigation Canal and Terraced Gardens. This review paper is based on literate res which are about Urartian period, Urartian aqueducts, nature cults, history of garden and Mesopotamia gardens. According to this literature, it ’s concluded that, Urartian gardens were similar with the other utilitarian and functional gardens through the human civilization. Beside other functions of these gardens, the water system which the garden depends on, fruit cultivation and use of water helped them to survive or long live. In relationship with Urartian irrigation canals and according to their own properties these gardens are also part of the cultural heritage. In this sense, it is concluded that Urartian hydraulic heritage and gardens should be conserve and should guide to the modern civilizations and hydraulic technology, today’s garden art. Keywords: Urartian irrigation canaIs, Urartian gardens Introduction The history of human civilization is intertwined with the history or manipulation and using ways of water resources by human. The earliest agricultural communities arose where crops could be grown with dependable rainfall and perennial rivers. Irrigation canals permitted to increase crop production and to have longer growing seasons in dry areas and sewer systems fostered larger population centers.