Muş (pronounced [muʃ]; Armenian: Մուշ; Kurdish: Mûş)[2] is a city in eastern Turkey.

[7][8] An inscription belonging to Urartian King Argisti I (785-765 BC) was unearthed near Kepenek Castle.

The inscription in question reads: To Master Haldi, Argisti, son of Minua, this silence He built his temple and a castle perfectly (and) took his name from Argistihinil put it.

In the late 8th century, Mush, along with the Taron region, came under control of the Armenian Bagratid (Bagratuni) dynasty, who reconquered it from the Muslim Arabs.

[11] After the 11th century, the town was ruled by Islamic dynasties such as the Ahlatshahs, Ayyubids, Ilkhanids and Kara Koyunlu.

In the 10th-13th centuries Mush developed into a major city with an estimated population of 20 to 25 thousand people.

[12] In 1387 the Central Asian conqueror Timur crossed the area and apparently captured Mush town without a battle.

The Ottomans under Selim I took control over the town and region in the early 16th century from the Persian Safavids.

Mush remained part of the Ottoman Empire till the early 20th century and during these times retained a large Armenian population.

[18][19][20] Over 140,000 Armenians of the Mush sanjak (living in 234 villages and towns)[21] were targeted in June and July 1915.

[22] Military-aged Armenian men were conscripted to serve in the Ottoman Army during World War I.