Ortadamla (A 9-9)
The rock inscription is located on a rocky outcrop on the north side of the village of Ortadamla, about 13 km east of Patnos. The east-facing inscription is carved in a niche 110 cm high, 120 cm wide, and 25 to 45 cm deep. The inscription occupies the slightly raised center section of the back wall, which is 80 cm high and 50 cm wide. Numerous crosses were carved on and around the inscription in later ages. The inscription celebrates the building of a canal, traces of which can still be seen next to the road below the rocky hill. Along with the two Karataş inscriptions (A 9-10 and 9-11), it testifies to intense agricultural activities by Sarduri II in this region.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-⸢ni⸣-ni
2 ⸢al⸣-su-⸢i⸣-ši-ni
3 [m]dsar5-du-ri-še
4 [m]ar-giš-[ti]-hi-ni-še
5 i-ni PA5 [a]-gu-ni
6 [m]dsar5-du-ri-ni
7 m⸢ar-giš⸣-ti-e-[hi]
8 [MAN DAN-NU MAN] ⸢al-su⸣-[i-ni]
9 ⸢MAN KURbi-a-i⸣-[na-ú-e]
10 [a]-lu-⸢si URUṭu-uš⸣-[pa URU]
Translation:
“(1) Through the greatness of the god Haldi, Sarduri, son of Argiš[ti], [d]ug this canal. (6) (I am) Sarduri, son of A[rg]išti, (8) [strong king, gr]ea[t] king, king [of] the Bia land[s, l]ord of Ṭ[u]š[pa-City].”
References:
Çavuşoğlu, R. & M. Salvini. 2003. “The Urartian Rock Inscription of Damla Köy,” SMEA 45, 185–190.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 435–436, v. 3 p. 271, v. 5 p. 264.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007054).
Image Sources:
R. Çavuşoğlu & M. Salvini, 2003
Bora Bilgin, 2024