Cavustepe Fortress [1] was built by the Urartian people [2] near Lake Van [3], very close to the borders of what are now Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Its heyday was during the reign of King Sardur II, between 756 and 730 BC.
A splendid palace and temple were erected on the site (a hill overlooking a fertile and secure valley), together with storerooms and meeting halls. But the pièce de résistance of the whole complex is the King's restroom.
Whether he built this out of a sense of Shamefulness or mere regal dignity is unknown. The walls have now disappeared, but the carved stone squatter remains in position, commanding a fine view over the valley. It even had some rudimentary piping beneath, enabling the monarch's turds to be discreetly disposed through the cliff-side.
There was running water in a few buildings, but it's more likely that he used a jug of water to rinse his bung and flush his logs away.
