Ada (A 5-20)
The rock inscription was formerly located near the village of Ada (now Adalar), a few kilometers south of Malazgirt. It is suspected to have been submerged by the Adalar Dam. The 12-line inscription concerns a canal built by Minua.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-i-ni-ni uš-ma-a-ši-i-ni
2 mmì-nu-a-še miš-pu-ú-i-ni-hi-i-ni-še
3 i-ni pi-i-li-e a-gu-ú-ni
4 mmì-nu-a-i pi-i-li-e ti-i-ni
5 ku-ṭu-ni pa-ri mmì-nu-a-i-ni-e
6 hu-bi-i pa-ri URUú-li-iš-[x]-i-ni
7 pa-ri-e URU[x]-a-[x-x]-e [KUR?]-ni
8 dhal-di-i-ni-ni al-su-ú-i-ši-ni
9 mmì-nu-a-ni miš-pu-ú-i-ni-e-hé
10 MAN tar-a-i-e MAN al-su-ú-i-ni
11 MAN KURbi-i-a-i-na-ú-e a-lu-ú-si
12 URUṭu-uš-pa-a-e pa-a-ta-ri-e
Translation:
“(1) Through the protection of the god Haldi, Minua, son of Išpuini, (3) dug this canal. “Canal of Minua” is its name. (5) He lead it to the “Valley of Minua”, to the city Uliš[-x-]ini, to the [land?] of the city […] (8) Through the greatness of the god Haldi (I am) Minua, son of Išpuini, (10) strong king, great king, king of the land Bia lands, lord of Ṭušpa-City.”
References:
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 p. 212, v. 3 p. 136, v. 5 p. 128.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006918).
CTU A 5-20 = CICh 49 = HchI 34 = UKN 59 = KUKN 76
Kotanlı and Leter (A 5-21A-B)
The inscription, which celebrates the construction of a canal (probably the same one mentioned on the rock inscription at Adalar, A 5-20), is known from two steles. One of these (A), a now-lost, mutilated stele, was found in the late 19th century at a location called “Chotanlu,” southwest of Malazgirt. This location is likely equated with modern Kotanlı, west of Malazgirt. A cross carved on the stele indicates it was reused as a gravestone in a later period.
Another fragment (B), belonging to the top section of a stele, was found in recent years in the village of Leter (Elmakaya), 13 km southwest of Malazgirt. According to local accounts, the stele was originally uncovered in Malazgirt. The fragment measures 91 cm in height, 62 cm in width, and 34 cm in thickness. It bears the same text with minor spelling differences, missing only the last line, which was lost at the broken bottom. This fragment was particularly useful in determining the correct spelling of the city name Mezaiani, which was damaged in the Kotanlı inscription. It has been suggested that the location of Mezaiani be identified with modern-day Malazgirt.
Transliteration A (after eCUT):
1 dhal-⸢di⸣-ni-ni
2 ⸢uš-ma⸣-[ši]-i-⸢ni⸣
3 mmì-i-nu-ú-a-še
4 miš-⸢pu⸣-u-i-⸢ni⸣-[hi]-⸢ni⸣-še
5 a-li-e ⸢pi⸣-i-li
6 URU⸢me-e-za-⸣i-a-ni
7 a-gu-bi mmì-nu-a-i
8 pi-i-li ti-i-ni
9 URUú-qu-ʾa-a-ni
10 a-da-ni ʾa-la-du-ni
11 URUzu-gu-hí-e
12 URUir-nu-ni-⸢ni⸣
13 URUa-ba-si-i-⸢ni⸣
Transliteration B (Işık and Genç, 2023):
1 dhal-di-i-ni-ni
2 uš-ma-a-ši-i-ni
3 mmì-i-nu-ú-a-še
4 miš-pu-u-i-ni-hi-ni-še
5 a-li-e pi-i-li-e
6 URUme-e-za-i-a-ni
7 a-gu-bi mmì-nu-a-i
8 pi-i-li ti-i-ni
9 URUú-qu-ʾa-a-ni
10 a-da-ni ʾa-la-du-ni
11 URUzu-gu-hi-e
12 URUir-nu-ú-ni-⸢e⸣
13 [URUa-ba-si-i-ni]
Translation:
“(1) Through the protection of the god Haldi, (3) Minua, son of Išpuini, (5) says: I dug a canal (emanating) from the city Mezaiani; (7) ‘Canal of Minua’ is (its) name. (9) On the side of(?)/ next to(?) the city Uquʹa I subdued the city Zuguhi, the city Irnuni and the city Abasini […].”
References:
Harutyunyan, N. V. 2001. Korpus urartskich klinoobraznych nadpisej, Yerevan.
Işık, K. & B. Genç. 2023. “New Urartian inscription from Malazgirt, Eastern Turkey, and the Localization of the City of Mezaiani,” JAOS 143, 195–205.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 p. 213, v. 5 pp. 128–129.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006919).
CTU A 5-21A = CICh 50 = HchI 35 = UKN 60 = KUKN 77
Image Sources:
N. V. Harutyunyan, 2001
K. Işık & B. Genç, 2023
Marmos (A 5-22)
The inscribed stele fragment was found in 1898 near the village of Marmos (now Koçaklar), about 17 km north of Malazgirt. The current whereabouts of the stele are unknown. The fragment belongs to the bottom part of a stele and is another celebratory inscription by Minua concerning the construction of a canal.
Transliteration:
obverse
1ʹ dhal-[di-ni-ni]
2ʹ [al-su-i]-ši-i-[ni]
3ʹ [mmì]-nu-ú-a-⸢ni⸣
4ʹ [miš]-pu-ú-i-ni-e-[hé]
5ʹ [MAN] tar-a-i-[e]
6ʹ [MAN] al-su-i-ni
7ʹ [MAN KUR]bi-i-a-i-na-ú-[e]
8ʹ [a]-⸢lu⸣-si URUṭu-uš-pa-a [URU]
reverse
1ʹ [m]mì-nu-a-še a-⸢li⸣-[e]
2ʹ [a]-lu-še i-ni DUB-[te]
3ʹ [tú]-li-e a-lu-⸢še⸣
4ʹ [pi]-tú-li-i-e
5ʹ [a]-lu-še a-i-ni-[i]
6ʹ [i]-ni-li du-li-[e]
7ʹ [a]-lu-še ú-li-[e-še]
8ʹ [ti]-ú-li-i-e
9ʹ [i]-e-še i-⸢ni⸣
10ʹ [pi]-li a-gu-⸢bi⸣
11ʹ [tú]-ú-ri-ni-⸢ni⸣
12ʹ [d]hal-di-še dIM-[še]
13ʹ [d]UTU-ni-še DINGIRMEŠ-[še]
14ʹ [ma]-a-ni dUTU-⸢ni⸣
15ʹ [pi]-i-ni mì-[i]
16ʹ ⸢ar⸣-hi ú-ru-li-⸢ia⸣-[ni]
17ʹ [mì]-i i-na-i-[ni]
18ʹ [mì]-i na-a-ra-[a]
19ʹ [a]-ú-i-e ú-lu-[li-e]
Translation:
“(obv. 1ʹ) [. . . Through the great]ness of the god Hal[di] (3ʹ) (I am) [Mi]nua, son of Išpuini, (5ʹ) strong king, great king, king of the Bia lands, (8ʹ) lord of Ṭušpa-City.
(rev. 1ʹ) Minua say[s]: (As for the one) who [de]stroys this inscription, (as for the one) who [da]mages it, (4ʹ) (as for the one) who makes anyone else do these things, (as for the one) who says: (9ʹ) “I dug this canal” (11ʹ) may the god Haldi, the Weather-God, (13ʹ) the Sun-God, and (all other) gods, (14ʹ) annihilate him under the sun! . . . (rest of the curse formula untranslatable)”
References:
Lehmann-Haupt, C. F. 1928–1935. Corpus Inscriptionum Chaldicarum, Berlin-Leipzig (No. 51).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 213–214, v. 3 p. 137, v. 5 pp. 129–130.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006920).
CTU A 5-22 = CICh 51 = HchI 37+38 = UKN 61 = KUKN 78
Image Sources:
C. F. Lehmann-Haupt, 1928–1935
Malazgirt (A 5-51)
The rectangular cornerstone was found and copied by V. Scheil in Malazgirt in the 1896, but was subsequently lost. It was rediscovered in 2010 by Hanifi Biber during a survey and transferred to the Van Museum in 2012. The nine-line inscription covers the left (48 cm wide) and right (138 cm wide) faces of the stone, which must have been inserted at an angle into the masonry of a susi temple. The complete text reaches halfway up the seventh line, where a duplicate begins, a section that must have continued on a now-lost underlying stone. The stone measures 56 cm in height. It is on display in the Van Museum.
Transliteration:
1 ⸢d⸣hal-di-i-ni-ni uš-ma-a-ši-i-ni dhal-di-e e-[ú-ri]-e
2 [m]mì-i-nu-ú-a-še miš-pu-ú-i-ni-e-hi-i-ni-e-še
3 i-ni su-si-e ši-di-iš-tú-ú-ni É.GAL ši-di-iš-tú-ú-ni
4 ba-a-du-ú-si-i-e mmì-nu-a-ni miš-pu-ú-i-ni-e-hé
5 ⸢MAN⸣ tar-a-i-e MAN al-a-su-ú-i-ni-e MAN KURšú-ú-ra-a-ú-e
6 ⸢MAN⸣ KURbi-i-a-i-na-a-ú-e MAN e-ri-e-la-a-ú-e a-lu-si
7 ⸢URU⸣ṭu-uš-pa-a pa-a-ta-ri dhal-di-i-ni-ni uš-ma-a-ši-ni
8 [d]hal-di-i-e e-ú-ri-i-e mmì-i-nu-ú-a-še
9 [miš]-pu-ú-i-ni-e-hi-ni-še i-ni su-si ši-di-iš-tú-ú-ni
Translation:
“(1) Through the protection of the god Haldi, for the god Haldi, the (or: his) Lo[rd], (2) Minua, son of Išpuini, built this susi temple. He (also) built a fortress to perfection. (4b) (I am) Minua, son of Išpuini, strong [ki]ng, great king, king of the lands, (6) [ki]ng of the Bia lands, king of the kings, lord of Ṭušpa-City. (7b) Through the protection of the god Haldi, for the god Haldi, his (or: the) Lord, Minua, (9) son of [Iš]puini, built this susi temple.”
References:
Işık, K. 2019. “Urartian inscriptions at the Van Museum. A New Collection,” in Over the Mountains and Far Away (Fs Salvini), eds. P. V. Avetisyan, R. Dan & Y. H. Grekyan, Oxford, pp. 296–303 (299).
Lehmann-Haupt, C. F. 1928–1935. Corpus Inscriptionum Chaldicarum, Berlin-Leipzig (Nos. 50–51).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 236–237, v. 3 p. 154, v. 5 pp. 154–155.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006949).
CTU A 5-51 = CICh 64–65 = HchI 47 = UKN 72 = KUKN 90
Image Sources:
Bora Bilgin, 2024
Malazgirt (A 5-96)
The stele fragment was found in 1903, walled into the Surp Sarkis church in the city of Malazgirt. It has been lost since then.
Transliteration:
obverse
1 dhal-di-ni-ni
2 al-su-ši-ni mmì-nu-a-ni
3 miš-pu-ú-i-ni-hi
4 MAN DAN-NU MAN al-su-ni
5 […]
reverse
1 [… su-ú-i-du-li]-i-e […]
2 […] a-lu-še a-i-ni-e-[i …]
3 […] a-lu-še ú-li-[še]
Translation:
“(obv. 1) Through the greatness of the god Haldi (I am) Minua, (3) son of Išpuini, strong king, great king […].
(rev. 1) [. . . m]ay [drive out . . .] who anyone else [. . . ] who else [. . .]”
References:
Lehmann-Haupt, C. F. 1928–1935. Corpus Inscriptionum Chaldicarum, Berlin-Leipzig (No. 109).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 p. 266, v. 5 pp. 182–183.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006994).
CTU A 5-96 = CICh 109 = HchI 36 = UKN 125 = KUKN 145
Kızılbaşan (A 5-106?)
This basalt stele fragment, one of two (the other is A 8-46), was found during a construction project in central Malazgirt and transported to the yard of a private house in the Kızılbaşan (Selçuklu) district. The fragment measures 63 cm in height, 68 cm in width, and 30 cm in thickness. The badly damaged eight-line inscription names King Minua as the person who erected the stele.
Transcription (Işık and Genç, 2023):
1 dhal-di-i-ni-ni
2 [u]š-ma-a-ši-i-ni
3 dhal-di-i-⸢e⸣
4 ⸢e⸣-ú-ri-i-[e]
5 [m]mì-i-nu-ú-[a-še]
6 [m]iš-pu-u-i-[ni-hi-ni-še]
7 [i]-ni ⸢pu⸣-[lu-si-i-e]
8 [k]u-⸢ú⸣-[gu-ni-i-e]
Translation (Işık and Genç, 2023):
“(1) Thanks to the protection of the god Haldi, (3) for the god Haldi, (his) lord, Minua, son of Išpuini, (7) erected this stele …”
References:
Işık, K. & B. Genç. 2023. “New Urartian inscription from Malazgirt, Eastern Turkey, and the Localization of the City of Mezaiani,” JAOS 143, 195–205.
Image Sources:
K. Işık & B. Genç, 2023
Kızılbaşan (A 8-46?)
This basalt stele fragment, one of two (the other is A 5-106), was found during a construction project in central Malazgirt and transported to the yard of a private house in the Kızılbaşan (Selçuklu) district. The fragment belongs to the upper section of a round-topped stele and measures 124 cm in height, 68 cm in width, and 35 cm in thickness. The surface is somewhat abraded. It is inscribed on one face with a 20-line inscription of Argišti I, mentioning the king’s agricultural activities. This is the only stele found in the Malazgirt region that belongs to a king other than Minua.
Transcription (Işık and Genç, 2023):
1 dhal-di-i-e e-⸢ú⸣-ri-[e]
2 [i]-⸢ni⸣ ⸢pu-ú⸣-[lu-si-e]
3. ⸢mar⸣-[gi]-iš-ti-[hi-še]
4 ⸢mmì⸣-[nu]-⸢a⸣-[hi]-⸢ni-še ku⸣-[gu-ni]
5 dhal-⸢di-ni⸣-ni al-su-⸢i⸣-[ši-ni]
6 ⸢mar⸣-gi-iš-ti-⸢hi⸣-[še]
7 [mmì-nu-ú]-⸢a-hi⸣ MAN DAN-⸢NU⸣
8 ⸢MAN⸣ al-su-⸢ú-i-ni-i⸣-[e]
9 MAN KURbi-i-⸢a-i-na-u⸣-e
10 a-lu-si URU⸢ṭu-uš⸣-pa URU
11 mar-[gi]-⸢iš⸣-ti-hi-še
12 mmì-nu-ú-a-[hi]-ni-še
13 i-ni GIŠul-di te-ru-ni
14 GIŠza-a-ri-e te-u-ru-ni
15 mar-⸢gi⸣-iš-ti-e-i
16 GIŠul-⸢di⸣-e ti-i-ni
17 [qi]-i-ú-ra-ni
18 [qu]-⸢ul⸣-di-i-ni ma-nu-ú
19 mar-gi-iš-ti-hi-še
20 mmì-nu-a-hi-ni-še te-ru-ni
Translation (Işık and Genç, 2023):
“ (1) For the god Haldi, (his) lord, Argišti, the son of Minua, erected this stele. (5) Through the greatness of the god Haldi (6) (I am) Argišti, the son of Minua, powerful king, great king, king of the Land of Biainili, lord of the city of Tušpa. (11) Argišti, the son of Minua, planted this vineyard, (and) planted an orchard—(15) “Vineyard of Argišti” is (its) name. (17) The land was deserted. (19) Argišti, the son of Minua, planted (these works).”
References:
Işık, K. & B. Genç. 2023. “New Urartian inscription from Malazgirt, Eastern Turkey, and the Localization of the City of Mezaiani,” JAOS 143, 195–205.
Image Sources:
K. Işık & B. Genç, 2023