Ayanis (A 12-1) The lengthy and well-preserved inscription of Rusa II was discovered in 1997 during excavations at Ayanis fortress. It is inscribed on basalt wall blocks of the façade and entry corridor of the tower-temple, which the inscription names “Foundations of Rusa in front of Mt. Eiduru” (mRušahinili KUREidurukai). The site of Ayanis is … Read more
Karmir Blur (A 12-2) Multiple inscribed building blocks, all part of the same large text, were uncovered in 1962 during excavations at Karmir Blur, the site of an ancient Urartian city. A total of 12 blocks, two of which are fragmentary, were found in a medieval pit in the southeast section of the mound. The … Read more
Movana (A 10-3) The tall stele with a Urartian-Assyrian bilingual inscription was discovered in 1995 in a field about 1–2 km west of the village of Movana (Mavana), located about 30 km west of Urmia, Iran. It was subsequently transferred to the Urmia Museum. Like the Kelishin stele, its surface is covered with bullet holes, … Read more
Kasımoğlu (A 3-5) The stele was found reused as a column base in the church of Surb Hovhannes in the village of Kasımoğlu (old Gjusnents), about 30 km north of the city of Van. The cross and Armenian inscription carved on the reverse indicate that the stele was later repurposed as a gravestone. The stele … Read more
Karagündüz (A 3-9) The basalt stele with a rounded top was found in the 1890s in the village of Karagündüz, on the eastern shore of Lake Erçek. It is inscribed on both sides. The stele is broken at the bottom, has some damage around the corners, and the reverse side features several crosses carved at … Read more
Ilandagh (A 3-8) The rock inscription is located on Ilandagh (Ojasar) mountain in the Nakhchivan region of Azerbaijan. It was first documented by geologist V. A. Igumnov in 1988. Because its location was not recorded at the time, the exact position of the inscription was unknown, and it was only rediscovered in 2026. The inscription … Read more
Koçyatağı (A 18-1) The rock inscription was discovered in 2005 by R. Çavuşoğlu on the top of Koç Hill, an eastward extension of the Bingöl Mountain, several km northwest of the village of Koçyatağı (Gomazil), about 22 km northeast of Varto in Muş province. It is carved on a large boulder inside a shallow niche … Read more
Ada (A 5-20) The rock inscription was formerly located near the village of Ada (now Adalar), a few kilometers south of Malazgirt. It is suspected to have been submerged by the Adalar Dam. The 12-line inscription concerns a canal built by Minua. Transliteration:1 dhal-di-i-ni-ni uš-ma-a-ši-i-ni2 mmì-nu-a-še miš-pu-ú-i-ni-hi-i-ni-še3 i-ni pi-i-li-e a-gu-ú-ni4 mmì-nu-a-i pi-i-li-e ti-i-ni5 ku-ṭu-ni pa-ri … Read more
Meher Kapı / Meher Gate (A 3-1) The 94-line text is carved on the back wall of the Meher Kapı niche. The same text is repeated with some variations in lines 1–31 and 32–94. Transliteration:1 [d]hal-di-e e-ú-ri-i-e miš-pu-ú-i-ni-še mdsar5-du-ri-e-hi-ni-še mmì-nu-ú-a-še2 m⸢iš⸣-pu-ú-i-ni-hi-ni-še i-ni-li KÁ za-a-du-ú-a-li te-ru-ni ar-di-še dUTU ITU a-ṣu-še ma-nu-še3 dhal-di-e-i dIM dUTU DINGIRMEŠ UKKINMEŠ … Read more
Minua Canal (A 5-12A–D) Four identical copies of a 14-line text by Minua, concerning the water canal (the so-called Shamran or Semiramis Canal) commissioned by this king, have been found at various locations along the canal in Edremit, south of the city of Van. A 5-12A is located on a rocky cliff approximately 2.50 m … Read more
