Habibuşağı (A 9-4)
The lengthy rock inscription was located on a rock on the eastern bank of the Euphrates near Habibuşağı, between the villages of Izollu (now Kale) and Kömürhan. However, in the late 1980s, the rock was submerged under the waters of the Karakaya Dam. The inscription was carved in a rectangular niche about 180 cm high and roughly 135 cm wide. It records the military campaigns of Sarduri II against Hilaruda, king of Militia (Malitiya). A cast of the inscription is on display in the Malatya Museum.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-i-ni uš-ta-bi ma-si-ni GIŠšú-ri ka-ru-ni
2 mhi-la-ru-a-da-ni mšá-hu-hi MAN URUmì-li-ṭi5-al-hi-e
3 KUR-ni-e te-⸢e⸣-qu-ni mdsar5-du-ri-ka-i mar-giš-ti-hi-ni
4 dhal-di-i ku-ru-ni dhal-di-ni GIŠšú-ri-i ku-ru-ni
5 uš-ta-bi mdsar5-du-ri-ni mar-giš-ti-e-hi
6 mdsar5-du-ri-še a-li ÍDpu-ra-na-di tú-i-iš-hi ma-nu
7 ú-i a-i-ni-e-i MAN iš-ti-ni ka-ú-ri hu-ti-a-di
8 dhal-di-e-di EN-di dIM-di dUTU-ni-di DINGIRMEŠ-áš-te
9 KURbi-a-i-na-áš-te a-lu-si-ni-ni al-su-i-ši-ni
10 a-li a-ba-di ha-ši-al-me-e DINGIRMEŠ za-tú-me KASKAL-e
11 ka-a-di LÚA.SIMEŠ-ṣi URUṭu-mì-iš-ki-ni-ka-i
12 i-ku-ka-ni U4-ME-ni-e uš-ta-di KUR-ni-di an-da-ni
13 KURqa-la-ʾa-ni ʾa-al-du-bi ku-ṭu-bi pa-ri KURkar-ni-ši-e
14 KURba-ba-ni sal-ma-at-hi URUmì-li-ṭi5-a-ni ku-ṭu-bi pa-ri
15 KURmu-šá-ni-e URUza-ab-šá a-su-ni [14] É.GAL 80? URUMEŠ
16 šú-si-ni U4-ME-ni áš-gu-bi É.⸢GAL⸣MEŠ har-ha-ar-šú-bi
17 URUMEŠ GÍBIL-bi 50 GIŠGIGIR gu-nu-ši-ni šá-tú-ú-bi
18 gu-nu-ši-ni-ni bi-di-a-di ba-ad-gu-lu-ú-bi
19 URUsa-si-i-ni URU MAN-nu-si mhi-la-ru-a-da-a-i
20 a-gu-nu-ni ma-nu gu-nu-šá-a ha-ú-bi ni-ri-bi ʾa-še MUNUSlu-tú
21 iš-ti-ni-<ni> ši-i-ú-bi mdsar5-du-ri-še a-li iš-te-di
22 ul-hu-di URUmì-li-ṭi5-a-ni qa-ab-qa-ru-li-ni nu-na-a-bi
23 mhi-la-ru-a-da-ni ka-ú-ki-e su-lu-uš-ti-i-bi
24 šá-tú-a-li ku-ri-e-li si-lu-a-di ma-ku-ri na-hu-bi
25 GUŠKIN KÙ.BABBAR BI-BU di-id-gu-ši-i KURbi-a-na-i-di a-gu-bi
26 ma-a-ni ʾa-al-tú-bi me-e-ši-ni pi-e-i 9 É.GALMEŠ e-di-<ni>
27 su-ṭù-qu-ú-bi a-bi-li-du-bi KURe-ba-ni-<ú>-ki-di
28 URUha-a-za-a-ni URUga-ú-ra-a-hi URUṭu-mì-iš-ki
29 URUʾa-a-[si]-ni URUma-ni-nu-ú-i URUa-ru-si
30 URUqu-ul-bi-tar-ri-ni URUta-a-še-e
31 URU.dqu-e-ra-i-ta-a-še-e URUme-e-lu-ia-ni
32 dhal-di-ni-ni al-su-i-ši-ni mdsar5-du-ri-ni
33 mar-giš-ti-hi MAN DAN-NU MAN al-su-i-ni MAN KURbi-a-i-na-ú-e
34 a-lu-si URUṭu-uš-pa-a URU mdsar5-du-ri-še a-li-e
35 a-lu-še i-ni DUB-te tú-u-li-e a-lu-še pi-tú-li-i-e
36 a-lu-še še-ri-du-li-e a-lu-še a-i-ni i-ni-li du-li
37 ti-ú-li-e ú-li-i tú-ri-e tú-ri-ni-ni
38 dhal-di-še dIM-še dUTU-še DINGIRMEŠ-še ma-a-ni
39 ⸢ar-mu-zi dUTU⸣-ni pi-e-ni mì-i ar-hi ú-ru-li-a-ni
40 mì-i i-na-ni mì-i na-ra a-ú-i-e ú-lu-li-e
Translation:
“(1) The god Haldi set off with his weapon, he defeated Hilaruada, son of Šahu, king of the city Miliṭia. He subjected the land to Sarduri, son of Argišti. Behind(?) the god Haldi, behind(?) the weapon of the god Haldi Sarduri, son of Argišti, set off. (6) Sarduri says: the river Euphrates was tuišhi. No king had (ever) advanced hither (before). (7b) I prayed to the god Haldi, (my) lord, to the Weather-God, to the Sun-God and to (all) the gods of the Bia lands. (9b) Through the greatness of (my) lord what I asked for the gods listened to me, they opened the road for me, I advanced (with my) soldiers up to the city Ṭumiški. (12) On the same day I set off towards the land, on the right(?) I subdued the land Qalaʹa. I came to the land Karniši, mountainious land on the left(?) of the city Miliṭia, and I came to the land Muša nearby the city Zabša. (15b) I defeated 14 fortresses and 80(?) settlements in one day, I destroyed the fortresses, I burnt down the villages, I captured 50 chariots in battle. (18) I returned from battle, I occupied(?) the city Sasi, royal city of Hilaruada, that was fortified, I conquered it in battle, I carried away from there livestock, men and women. (21b) Sarduri says: I moved forward(?), and besieged the city Miliṭia. (22b) Hilaruada came and prostrated before me. (23) He kissed my feet, . . . I carried away gold, silver, and rich(?) livestock, and I lead it (i.e. the booty) to the Bia lands. (26) I put him under tribute, 9 fortresses . . I x-ed and added to my land: (28) Haza, Gaurahi, Ṭumiški, ʹAsi, Maninui, Arusi, Qulbitarri, Taše, Queraitaše, Meluia. (32) Through the greatness of the god Haldi (I am) Sarduri, son of Argišti, strong king, great king, king of the land of the Bia lands, lord of Ṭušpa-City. (34b) Sarduri says: (as for the one) who destroys this inscription, (as for the one) who damages it, (as for the one) who hides(?) (it), (as for the one) who makes anyone else do these things and says: ʹgo, destroyʹ, may the god Haldi, the Weather-God, the Sun-God, (and all) the gods annihilate him and his offspring under the sun. . . (rest untranslatable).”
References:
Kalaç, M. 1956 “Kömürhan Urartu Kitabesi,” Belleten 20, 349–354.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 431–433, v. 3 pp. 267–268, v. 5 pp. 259–261.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007049).
CTU A 9-4 = CICh 133 = HchI 104 = UKN 158 = KUKN 244
Image Sources:
iDAI, (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
M. Salvini, 2008
Bora Bilgin, 2024