Ortakent (A 8-7)
The rock inscription is located on an artificially leveled wide rock surface by a small creek (Morevdere), about 3 km northeast of Ortakent, a village in the district town of Hanak in the province of Ardahan. It was first reported in 1985 by Temel Özcan from Hanak. The 13-line inscription covers an area 43 cm high and 175 cm wide. A rock platform in front of the inscription appears to have been destroyed by the river, leaving the inscription about 8 meters above ground level. The surface is largely damaged by natural causes and treasure seekers.
Transliteration:
1 [dhal-di-ni uš-ta]-bi ma-si-ni šú-ri ka-ru-ni KURtar-i-ú-ni KÚR ka-⸢ru⸣-[ni]
2 [KURx x x x] ⸢te⸣-qu-ni mar-giš-ti-i-ka-i dhal-di ku-ru-ni
3 [dhal-di-ni GIŠšú]-ri KI.MIN uš-⸢ta⸣-bi mar-gi-iš-ti-ni mmì-nu-a-hi ú-lu-⸢uš⸣-[ta-i-bi]
4 [dhal-di]-⸢ni⸣ mar-gi-iš-ti-še a-li ha-ú-bi KURtar-a-i-ú ši-li a-šá-a-[di?]
5 [x x x x]-ni KUR-ni-e ku-ṭi5-a-di pa-ri KURhu-šá-ú-e pa-ri KURbi-i-a-ú-e ši-a-[di]
6 [x x x] ⸢KUR⸣áš-qa-la-ši-e-di dhal-di-ni-ni ba-ú-ši-ni mar-gi-iš-ti-še a-[li]
7 [MAN m]di-ia-ú-e-hi-⸢e⸣ a-ri-bi-ri-da-bi ka-i-ú-ki URUa-hu-ri-a a-su-[ni-ni]
8 [gu-nu-ši]-⸢ni⸣ su-ú-i-du-lu-bi za-⸢šú-ú-bi⸣ URUqa-x-x-x-ú-ni a-su-ni za-[šú?-bi?]
9 ⸢iš⸣-ti-ni 70 LIM 2 LIM 80 ⸢ub⸣-še 7 LIM [x x x x x]-e 11 [x x x x x x a-li]-ki za-⸢áš⸣-[gu-bi]
10 [a]-li-ki TIMEŠ ⸢a-gu-bi⸣ 96 É.GALMEŠ [har-har-šú-ú-bi] 50+[X?] ⸢URUMEŠ⸣ a-ma-áš-tú-⸢bi⸣
11 [m]ar-gi-iš-ti-ni [mmì]-⸢nu⸣-[a-hi MAN DAN-NU MAN KURbi-a]-i-⸢na⸣-e a-lu-si URUṭu-uš-⸢pa⸣ [URU]
12 [a]-lu-še i-ni ⸢DUB-te⸣ tú-li-e ⸢tú⸣-[ri-ni]-ni dhal-di-še dqu-e-ra-a-[še]
13 ma-a-[ni] dUTU-ni pi-i-ni [mì]-i ar-hi ú-ru-li-[a-ni]
Translation:
“(1) [The god Haldi se]t off with his weapon, he defeated the enemy land Tariuni, he defeated [the land . . . ] and subjected it to Argišti. (2b) Behind(?) the god Haldi,(and) behind the wea[pon of the god Haldi] as well, Argišti, son of Minua set off, [the god Hald]i march[ed] (ahead of the troops). (4b) Argišti says: I conquered the land Tariu . . . I set o[ut] to the land of [ . . . ], I came to the land Huša and to the land Bia. I went [ . . . ] towards the land Ašqalaši. (6b) By the command of the god Haldi, Argišti sa[ys: The king of the] Diauehi showed up in front of me, he to[ok(?)] the city Ahuria; I pushed (him) back [i]n [battle] and over[whelmed him] near the city Qa[. . .]ni. (8b) I capt[ured(?)] there 72080 young men, 7000[+ x . . . ], 11[thousand? . . . ]. Some I ki[lled], [s]ome I deported alive. [I destroyed] 96 fortresses, I burnt down 50+[x] settlements. (11) I am Argišti, son of [Min]u[a, strong king, king of the [Bia] lands, lord of Ṭušp[a]-[City]. (12) (As for the one) who destroys this inscription, may the god Haldi and the god Quera, anni[hilate] him under the sun (or: the Sun-God) … (rest untranslatable)”
References:
Dinçol, A. & B. Dinçol. 1992. “Die urartaeische Inschrift aus Hanak (Kars),” Hittite and Other Anatolian and Near Eastern Studies in Honor of Sedat Alp, eds. H. Otten et al., Ankara, pp. 109–117.
Salvini, M. 2006. “Die Felsinschrift Argišti I. bei Ortakent, Kreis Hanak (Osttürkei),” Orientalia 75, 73–83 and Plts. IV–VIII.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 347–348, v. 3 pp. 221–222, v. 5 pp. 215–216.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007008).
CTU A 8-7= KUKN 174C
Image Sources:
M. Salvini, 2008
Bora Bilgin, 2025