Ezhdaha Bulaqi (A 5-59)
The rock niche with an inscription of Minua is located 18 km north of Uşnaviyeh, near the turnoff for Zeyveh on the road to Urmia, beyond the watershed and along the Qasemlu River. It is carved into a very jagged rock face flanking the road, set back about twenty meters from it. The niche measures 2.60 meters in height and 1.50 meters at its widest point, with a depth that varies from approximately 20–30 cm at the top to about 80 cm at the bottom threshold. From the stony ground between the rock and the road, spring water gushes forth at three points with remarkable force, flowing into the Qasemlu River. This monument was discovered in 1971 by R. H. Dyson, director of the Hasanlu archaeological expedition. The same text is repeated four times in the niche: twice on the back wall (A at the top, B at the bottom) and once each on the left (C) and right (D) side walls. The inscription concerns the construction of a tarmanili, possibly a fountain or well.
Transliteration (Salvini, CTU V):
A
1 dhal-di-⸢ni-ni⸣ [uš-ma]-⸢ši⸣-ni
2 mmì-nu-⸢a⸣-[ni miš-pu-u]-⸢i⸣-ni-hi
3 MAN DAN-⸢NU⸣ [MAN al-su]-i-ni
4 MAN KUR[bi-i-a-i-na-ú-e]
5 a-[lu-si URUṭu-uš]-⸢pa-e⸣ [URU]
6 m[mì-nu-a-še i-ni-li]
7 ⸢ta-ra⸣-[ma-ni-li te-ši-ú-ni]
B
1 dhal-di-[ni-]⸢ni⸣ [uš-ma]⸢-ši⸣-ni [mmì-nu-a-ni]
2 m⸢iš⸣-pu-[u-i-ni-hi MAN DAN-NU] MAN al-[su-i-ni]
3 MAN ⸢KUR⸣[bi-i-a-i-na-ú-e a-lu]⸢-si URU⸣[ṭu-uš-pa-e URU]
4 mmì-[nu-a-še i-ni-li ta-]⸢ra-ma⸣-ni[-li te-ši-ú-ni]
C
1 [dhal-di-ni-ni uš]-ma-ši-ni
2 [mmì-nu-a-ni miš-pu]-u-i-ni-hi
3 [MAN DAN–NU MAN al-]⸢su⸣-i-ni
4 [MAN KURbi-i-a-]i-na-[ú]-e
5 [a-lu-si URUṭu-uš-pa]⸢-e⸣ URU
6 [mmì-nu-a-še i]-ni-li
7 [ta-ra-ma]-ni-[li te]-ši-⸢ú⸣-ni
D
1 ⸢d⸣hal-di-ni-ni uš-[ma-ši-ni]
2 [mmì]-nu-a-ni m⸢iš⸣[-pu-u-i-ni-hi]
3 [MAN DAN]-NU MAN ⸢al⸣[-su-i-ni]
4 [MAN KUR]bi-⸢i-a⸣-i-[na-ú-e]
5 [a-]⸢lu⸣-si [URUṭu]⸢-uš⸣-[pa-e URU]
6 [mmì]-nu-a-⸢še i⸣[-ni-li]
7 [ta-]⸢ra⸣-ma-ni-li te-⸢ši⸣[-ú-ni]
Translation:
“Through the protection of the god Haldi, (I am) Minua, son of Išpuini, strong king, great king, king of the Bia lands, lord of Ṭušpa-City. [Minua founded(?)] [this we]ll.”
References:
Salvini, M. 1984. “La nicchia rupestre di Ain-e Rum,” in Tra lo Zagros e l’Urmia. Ricerche storiche ed archeologiche nell’Azerbaigian iraniano, eds. P. E. Pecorella et al., Roma, pp. 71–76 and Plts. IX–XI.
Salvini, M. 2021. “The Rock Niche of the Urartian King Minua at Ain-e Rum in Iranian Azerbeijan,” in Proceedings of the International Conference on the Iron Age in Western Iran and Neighbouring Regions, eds. Y. Hassanzadeh, A. A. Vahdati & Z. Karimi, Tehran, pp. 80–93.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 242–244, v. 3 pp. 166–168, v. 5 pp. 161–162.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006957).
CTU A 5-59 = KUKN 158
Image Sources:
M. Salvini, 2021