Teishebaini (also Teshebani, modern Karmir Blur (Armenian: Կարմիր Բլուր) referring more to the hill that the fortress is located upon) was the capital of the Transcaucasian provinces of the ancient kingdom of Urartu.

It became this color after the city was set on fire and the upper walls which were made of tuff fell and crumbled because of the heat.

[2] The city of Teishebaini was built by Rusa II in mid-7th century BC[3] to protect the eastern borders of Urartu from the barbaric Cimmerians and Scythians.

Archaeological excavations have shown that lentils, hemp, peas, sesame, wheat, and barley were some of the grains that were grown in the area, as well as grapes and plums.

Some of the findings include carved ivory, stone, ceramics, metal figurines, pottery and an astonishing wide variety of bronze domestic tools and utensils, military equipment decorated with mythological symbols, forms and animals, daggers, swords, helmets, arrows, quivers, shields of an advanced metallurgy, as well as vases, bracelets, earrings and medallions in gold and varied sets of other jewelry.

[4] Archaeological evidence shows that the city of Teishebaini was destroyed by fire sometime around the beginning of the 6th century BC.

It is thought that Teishebaini was attacked during the night since numerous human remains have been found, and rooms within the buildings still had everything in them as if the people living within the city's walls had no chance to flee.