Shisheh (A 11-6)
The rock inscription is located on the mountain overlooking the village of Shisheh, about 40 km northeast of Ahar in Iranian Azerbaijan. It was discovered in 1998 by A. Hejebri-Nobari during an archaeological survey. It is carved on the east face of the rock forming the highest peak of the mountain, which is inside a pre-Urartian fortress. The inscription is inside a niche 85 cm high and 141 cm wide. Its central section is heavily damaged due to the backward slant of the rock surface, which exposes it to the elements. The text is largely parallel to the Razliq (A 11-4) and Nashteban (A 11-5) inscriptions.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-ni-ni al-su-i-ši-ni EN-si-ni-ni
2 mar-gi-iš-ti-še mru-sa-hi-ni-še a-li a-šá-di
3 [KURar-hu]-ú-e iš-ti-ni-a-ṣi [ka]-⸢ru⸣-bi
4 [KÚR] KURú-šú-[lu-ni] KUR-[ni KURbu-qu-e KUR-ni ku-ṭi5]-a?-di
5 [pa-ri x x x x x x x] ka-ru-bi x x x bi-di-e
6 [ha?-a?]-ú-bi [x] x [x x x x x]-di? x x-ni
7 [x x x] x [x x x] x [x x x x x x x x x] x x
8 [x x x]-ni-e? x [x x x x x x x x x]-x-ri?
9 [d]⸢hal⸣-di-e? e-ú-[ri?-e? x x x x] mar-gi-iš-ti-še
10 [a?]-⸢li?⸣ [x x x] x ni [x x x]-bi ⸢É?.GAL?⸣ URU a? x a? x
11 [ši]-⸢di-iš-tú-bi te⸣-ru-bi ti-ni dhal-di-e-i ⸢ir⸣-du-si
12 KURbi-a-i-na-ú-e uš-ma-a-še KURlu-lu-i-na-ú-i na-a-pa-hi-a-i-di
13 mar-gi-iš-ti-še mru-sa-hi-ni-še a-li
14 a-lu-še i-ni DUB-te pi-tú-li-e a-i [ti-ni-ni] tú-li-e
15 ma-a-si ti-ni te-li-e tú-ri-ni-ni dhal-di-še dIM-še
16 dUTU-še ma-⸢a-ni⸣ ti-[i-ni ar]-⸢mu⸣-[zi dUTU]-⸢ni pi⸣-i-ni
Translation:
“(1) Through the greatness of the god Haldi, the Lord, Argišti, son of Rusa, says: (2b) I set out for the land [Arh]u, for (this place) here. I [defea]ted the region of the [enemy] land Ušu[luni, the region of Buque]. (4b) [I ca]me [up to . . . .] I defeated [the land/the city x(?)] on the side(?) [of x . . . ]. (6) I conquered [. . .] . . . [. . .] (9) For the god [H]aldi, the (or: his) Lor[d(?), . . .] Argišti [sa]ys(?): I x-ed, I built a fortress (and) a city, I gave it the name ‘stronghold of the god Haldi’, as protection of the Bia lands (and) for the initimidation of the enemy lands. (13b) Argišti, son of Rusa, says: (as for the one) who damages this inscription, or destroys [my name] (and) puts his own name (there), may the god Haldi, the Weather-God, the Sun-God, annihilate him, [his] na[me and his off]spring under the sun!”
References:
Bashash Khanzaq, R., R. Biscione, A. R. Hejebri-Nobari & M. Salvini, M. 2001. “Haldi’s Garrison – Haldi’s Protection. The newly Found Rock Inscription of Argišti II in Shisheh, near Ahar (East Azerbaijan, Iran),” SMEA 43, 25–37.
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 543–544, v. 3 pp. 334–335, v. 5 pp. 312–313.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007097).
Image Sources:
M. Salvini, 2008
Google Earth, 2023