The ancient Armenian city of Van (previously called Tosp, Shamiramakert) located in the vicinity of Lake Van’s eastern shores has been one of the most significant cities of Western Armenia before the 1915 Armenian Genocide.
- 9th – 6th centuries BC – known as Tosp, the capital of the Kingdom of Van (more known as Urartu).
- 6th – 4th centuries BC – a part of the Armenian satrapy within Persia.
- From the 4th century BC to 200 BC – a part of the Armenian kingdom of the Orontid dynasty.
- 200 – 190 BC – a part of the Seleucid Empire.
- 190 BC – 428 AD – a part of Greater Armenia.
- 364 – destroyed by Sassanid troops.
- From 428 to the 8th century – a part of the Sassanian Armenia.
- From 8th century to 885 – a part of Armenia, the province of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates.
- 885 – 1021 – a part of the Armenian Kingdom of Bagratids.
- 10th century – restored its status of the capital of the Armenian Vaspurakan Kingdom.
- 1021 – seized by the Byzantine Empire.
- 1071 – seized by Seljuk Turks.
- 1100 – 1207 – a part of the state of Armenian shahs.
- Second half of the 14th century – destroyed twice by the troops of Timur.
- 17th century – conquered by the Ottoman Empire.
- 1894 – 1895 – massacre of the Armenian population, thousands of Armenians killed.
- 1915 – 1923 – the Armenian Genocide.
- Spring of 1915 – The Van Battle. Despite the Armenian resistance, the Armenian population of the city was driven out and killed by the Ottoman government. The city was almost completely destroyed.
- 1920 – according to the Treaty of Sèvres, the city had to be passed to the First Republic of Armenia.
- 1923 – passed under the control of Turkey in accordance with the Treaty of Lausanne.
