Tirmet (A 5-6)
Several fragments of a basalt stele were found at various times between 1881 and 2014 in and around the village of Tirmet (Alazlı), with the most recent ones recovered during surveys conducted between 2009 and 2014 by Hanifi Biber of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University. A total of six fragments, two of which join directly, form five indirectly joining pieces of the same stele, which is inscribed on both faces. Its content describes a successful campaign by Minua against the land of Urme. The stele has an average width of 73 cm and a thickness of 32 cm. The overall height of the original stele is estimated to have been at least 4.5 meters. The whereabouts of one fragment (d) are unknown. One fragment (a) is on display in the Ahlat Museum. Publications do not clarify whether the other fragments have been moved to museums.
Transliteration (CTU V; eCUT):
obverse
Fragment a
1 ⸢d⸣hal-di-⸢i⸣-e ⸢e⸣-ú-ri-i-⸢e⸣
2 i-ni [pu]-lu-ú-si-e
3 [m]mì-⸢i-nu⸣-ú-a-še
4 miš-pu-ú-ni-hi-ni-še
5 ku-ú-gu-ú-ni
6 dhal-di-ni uš-ta-a-bi
7 ma-si-ni-e GIŠšú-ri-⸢e⸣
8 ka-ru-ni URUhi-ir-hi-me-⸢ni⸣
9 [KUR]e-ba-a-ni-i-[e]
10 [KURa?]-la-ú-hi KUR-⸢ni⸣-[e?]
11 [x x x] ⸢KUR⸣ur-⸢me⸣ [x-x]
Fragment b
1 [x x x] x [x x x]
2 [URU]a-la-ú-⸢e⸣ [x x]
3 [KUR]ur-me-ú-hi-⸢di⸣ [x]
4 [URU]a-la-ú-⸢e⸣ [x x]
5 ⸢su⸣-ú-⸢i⸣-du-⸢lu⸣-[ú-bi]
6 [za]-a-⸢áš⸣-gu-[ú-bi]
7 URUur-šá-[a?]-ni [x x]
8 ⸢ha⸣-ú-bi KURe-ba-[a-ni]
9 ⸢KUR⸣ur-me-ú-hi-ni-ni [x x]
10 su-ṭu-qu-bi [e-er-ṣi]-du-[bi]
11 ⸢KUR⸣a-i-[x x x x] pa [x]
12 ⸢KUR⸣.KURMEŠ [x x x ku]-⸢ṭu⸣-bi
13 ⸢pa-ri⸣ [x x x x x]-ni
14 [x x x x x x x]-ni
15 [x x x x x x x]-ni
16 [x x x x x x x]-e
17 [x x x x x x x]-⸢di⸣
18 [x x x x x x x]-e
19 [x x x x x x x]-⸢li⸣
20 [x x x x x x x]-⸢li⸣
21 al-x-[x x x x]-⸢li⸣
22 hu?-la-[x x x x x] ú [x]
23 ⸢URU⸣ú-[x x x x] e [x]
24 ú-la-a-di [KUR]⸢ur⸣-me-i-⸢di⸣
25 [URU]tar-pa-ra-ka-a-[ni]
26 [URU]e-ri-ma-a-[ni]
27 [ha]-a-ú-bi x [x x]
28 [x] x ⸢šá⸣ x x [x x]
Fragment B2
1 [ ]-ni-e
2 9 LIM 5 ME 44
3 LÚta-ar-šú-a-[ni]
4 a-li-ki4 za-aš-gu-ú-[bi]
5 a-li-ki4 še-hi-ri a-gu-[bi]
6 ʾa-še a-li-e ma-a-[nu]
7 a-ru-ú-bi LÚA.SI[MEŠ]
8 e-di-ni dhal-di-ni-[ni]
9 uš-ma-a-ši-[ni]
10 mmì-nu-a-še a-li-[e]
11 uš-ú-ta-a-di
12 KURur-me-e-di
13 [ha-ú-bi KURu]r-me-e
14 [ ]-ni
Fragment c
1 [x x x] x [x x x]
2 [x]+4 ME URUMEŠ za-áš-[gu-bi]
3 [a]-⸢ma⸣-a-áš-tú-ú-[bi]
4 [É].⸢GAL⸣MEŠ ši-a-[bi?]
5 [URU]qu-ul-me-e-[ri]
6 [qa]-⸢ab⸣-qa-ar-šú-⸢lu⸣-[bi]
7 [É].⸢GAL⸣-ni za-du-ú-[bi]
8 [bu]-ra-a-áš-tú-ú-[bi]
9 ⸢e⸣-er-ṣi-du-bi e-⸢si⸣
10 [KURe]-ba-ni ⸢ʾa⸣-al-du-[ú-bi]
11 [me]-⸢ši⸣-ni [pi-e-i]
Fragment d
1 [x x x] x x [x x]
2 [x x x] ⸢su⸣-ṭu-⸢qu⸣-[bi]
3 [a-bi-li]-du-ú-[bi]
4 [x-x]-a-i-di [x]
5 [x-x]-⸢ṣi⸣-ú-i ⸢hu⸣-[bi]
6 [x-x]-x-da-i hu-[bi]
7 [x-x]-šá-nu-i [hu-bi?]
reverse
Fragment a
1 [x x x x x]-ú-[x x]
2 [x x x] ⸢a⸣-še m?[x x x x]
3 [x x x x]-⸢di⸣ [x x]-ú
4 [x x x]-⸢ú⸣-[x x x x]-⸢di⸣
5 [x x x]-ta-[x x x x]-⸢e⸣
6 [x x x]-i-[x x x x]-⸢i⸣
7 [ha]-⸢ú⸣-bi KURur-⸢me⸣-[i]-e
8 [x]-a-di-i-si [x]-⸢ri⸣
9 [x]-šá-li-ni ⸢e⸣-[x x]
10 [x x] ⸢4⸣ ME [x x x]
11 [x x x]-⸢ar⸣-[x x x]
12 [x x x] x [x x x x]
Fragment c+d
1 [mmì]-nu-a-še a-li-⸢e⸣
2 [a]-⸢lu⸣-še i-ni DUB-⸢te⸣
3 [tú]-⸢li⸣-i-[e a]-lu-⸢še⸣
4 [pi]-i-tú-[ú]-⸢li⸣-i-⸢e⸣
5 [a]-⸢lu⸣-še a-i-ni-e-[i]
6 [i]-⸢ni⸣-li [du-li]-i-[e]
7 [a]-⸢lu⸣-še [ú-li]-e-[še]
8 [ti]-i-ú-li-i-[e]
9 [i-e]-še za-a-du-ú-[bi]
10 [tú-ú]-ri-i-ni-[ni]
11 [dhal]-⸢di⸣-še d⸢IM⸣-[še]
12 [dUTU]-še [DINGIR]MEŠ-⸢še⸣ [ma-a-ni]
13 [d]⸢UTU⸣-ni [pi-e-i-ni-e]
14 [mì]-i ⸢ar⸣-[hi]
15 [ú]-ru-li-[a-ni]
16 [mì]-i i-na-[a-i-ni]
17 [mì]-i na-[a-ra-a]
18 [a-ú-i]-e ú-[lu-li-e]
Translation (Biber et al., 2015; CTU V; eCUT):
obv.
“(a) For the god Haldi, his (or: the) Lord, Minua, son of Išpuini, erected this stele. The god Haldi set off with his weapon, he conquered the territory of the city Hirhime, the territoriy of the city [A]laue and the territory of] the land Urme.
[…]
(b) [… …](the city of) Alaue, toward the [country of] Urmeuhi [……], [the city of] Alaue […]I rejected, I destroyed the city of Urša [.….], I occupied the territory. From the country of Urme(uhi) …, I installed (?), the country of Ai[…]…, the countries […] I came up to [… …] [… …] the city of U[……]. I went to the country of Urme the city of Tarparaka (and) the city of Erimani I conquered [… …]
[…]
(B2) 9,544 people, some I killed, some I deported alive, and the men who were there I gave to the troops. Thanks to the protection of Haldi, Minua says: I set out on a campaign towards the country of Urme, [I conquered the country] of Urme.
[…]
(c) [ … …] [x+]400 cities (= settlements, villages) I destroyed and set on fire, fortresses, I came(?) [the city of] Qulmeri I besieged, a fortress I built, I enslaved I installed/made people inhabit the place, I subjected the country to tribute.
[…]
(d) [… …] I gathered … (names of three ‘valleys’ (hubi) are following)….
rev.
(a) [… …] I conquered the country of Urme . . . […]
[…]
(d) Minua says: whoever this inscription destroys, whoever damages it, whoever else does these things, and whoever else says: I made it (scil. the inscription) let him be destroyed by Haldi, the god of the Storm, the sun god and all the gods, [him] under (the light of) the sun …”
References:
Biber, H., K. Işık & S. Erdoğan. 2012. “A New Urartian Stele Fragment from Alazlı/Tirmet, Province of Muş,” AJNES 7.1, 86–98.
Biber, H., K. Işık & S. Erdoğan. 2015. “The Story of Tirmet Stele,” AJNES 9.2, 82–91.
Lehmann-Haupt, C. F. 1928–1935. Corpus Inscriptionum Chaldicarum, Berlin-Leipzig (Plt. XXIV).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 193–195, v. 3 pp. 120–121, v. 5 pp. 109–113.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006904).
CTU A 5-6 = CICh 32A–C = HchI 27+28 = UKN 40A–C = KUKN 57
Image Sources:
C. F. Lehmann-Haupt, 1928–1935
H. Biber et al., 2015