Urartian Inscriptions of Kavuncu

Kavuncu (A 5-53A-B) The fragmentary cylindrical stone (a column base?) with a three-line inscription (A) was found in a house in Van in the late 19th century but was subsequently lost. In 2009, a duplicate of this inscription was discovered on another cylindrical stone fragment (B) in the village of Kavuncu, east of the city … Read more

Urartian Inscriptions of Kevenli

Kevenli (A 5-34) The cylindrical column base with a three-line inscription was seen and copied by F. E. Schulz in 1827–28 in the church courtyard in the village of Şuşants (today Kevenli), but it has been lost since that time. Transliteration:1  [dhal-di-ni-ni] uš-ma-a-[ši-ni mmì-nu-a-še miš]-pu-ú-i-ni-hi-ni-še Éṭu-lu-[ú]-ri-[ni]2  É.GAL ba-du-si-e ši-di-ši-tú-ni URU ši-di-ši-tú-ni ú-i gi-e-i iš-ti-ni ši-da-ú-⸢ri⸣3  … Read more

Urartian Inscription of Zivin

Zivin (A 5-4) The two-piece stele was originally located in the Zivin Fortress, near the village of Zivin (today Süngütaşı) in the Sarıkamış district of Kars. The stele was removed to Tbilisi during the Russian invasion of the region in the late 19th century. It has a width of 62 cm and a depth of … Read more

Urartian Inscriptions of Körzüt

Körzüt, Muradiye and Van Kalesi (A 5-2A–F) An inscription of King Minua, celebrating successful campaigns into the lands of Erkuahi and Etiuni and the conquest of the city of Luhiuni, is known from multiple copies. At least two of these copies (A and B) were inscribed on multiple rectangular blocks on the left and right … Read more

Urartian Inscriptions of Kalecik

Kalecik (A 2-1) The two-line inscription, with identical content on each line, is carved on a cylindrical stone (a column base?). It was seen and copied by F. E. Schulz in the church of Aralesk (Lesk), now Kalecik, about 5 km north of Van, but its whereabouts are not known today. The inscription dates to … Read more

Urartian Inscription of Taşköprü

Taşköprü (A 9-5) The rock inscription is located less than a meter above the current ground level in a rocky ravine behind the village of Taşköprü, which lies approximately 500 meters west of the southern tip of Lake Çıldır. The eight-line inscription is carved on a flattened surface 26.5 cm high and 82.5 cm wide. … Read more

Urartian Inscriptions of Van Kale (Van Fortress)

Sardursburg (A 1-1A–F) Six identical inscriptions written in the Assyrian language date to the reign of Sarduri I, making them the earliest dated inscriptions of the Urartian Kingdom. They are carved into the walls of the so-called Sardursburg (locally known as Sardur Burcu or Madır Burcu), which was likely a pier structure situated at the … Read more