Qarajalu (A 10-8?)
The rock inscription was first reported in 2022 by Salar Alipour, a mine engineer, who discovered it within the ruins of the fortifications of Yeddi Otaq, about 22 km southeast of the city of Ahar. The inscription is engraved in a shallow niche on the rocks overlooking the Ahar River, at the highest point of the fort, facing northeast. The inscribed surface has suffered significantly due to natural elements. So far, this is the only monumental inscription of Rusa I found east of Lake Urmia.
Transliteration (after Salvini, 2025):
1 [d]⸢hal-di⸣-ni-ni uš-ma-ši-ni EN-si-ni-ni
2 mru-sa-a-⸢še⸣ mdsar5-du-ri-hi-ni-⸢še⸣
3 ⌈a⸣-li-i-e-še i-ni KUR-ni ha-ú-⸢bi⸣
4 ⸢LÚ EN.NAM⸣ iš-ti-ni te-ru-ú-bi
5 e-ʾa i-ni É.GAL ši-di-iš-tú-u-bi
6 te-ru-bi ti-ni de-li-ip-ri-i
7 ⸢URU.TUR⸣(?) KURbi-a-i-na-ú-e uš-ma-še KUR.KÚR⸢MEŠ⸣?-i ⸢na-pa?⸣
8 [-hi-a-i-di(?)] a-lu-še i-ni DUB-te tú-li-e
9 ⸢tú-ri⸣-ni-ni dUTU-še ma-ni [dUTU](?)-ni [pi-i-ni](?)
10
Translation (Salvini, 2025):
“Thanks to the protection of Haldi, thanks to that of the Lord, Rusa, son of Sarduri, said: I have conquered this territory/country; I have installed a governor there and built a fortress. I have named it ‘Little City of the God Elipri,’ for the defense of the land of Biainili, and [for the humiliation?] of the enemy country. Whoever destroys this inscription, may the Sun God destroy him [under (the light of) the Sun](?).”
References:
Dara, M., H. N. Someeh & M. Rokni. 2025. “A newly-discovered Urartian rock inscription in Qarajalu: The first piece of evidence about Rusa I’s presence in the east of Urmia Lake,” Ancient Iranian Studies 4, 113–122.
Salvini, M. 2025. “Un nouveau texte de Rusa (I) Sardurihi suggère peut être une solution pour la vexata quaestio de la chronologie des rois urartéens entre VIIIe et VIIe siècle,” NABU 2025-3, 130–135.
Image Sources:
M. Dara, 2025