Tsovinar (A 10-2)
The rock inscription is located in Kolagran (now Tsovinar) on the south shore of Lake Sevan. It covers an area of 88 cm in height and 133 cm in width on the forward-leaning surface of a rocky outcrop. A modern commemorative stele placed in front of it, leaning against the rock. The text celebrates the military conquests of Rusa I in the region.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-ni-ni uš-ma-⸢ši⸣-[ni] EN-si-ni-ni mru-sa-a-⸢še⸣
2 mdsar5-du-ri-hi-ni-⸢še a-li⸣ i-e-še i-ni-li e-ba-ni-li
3 šú-si-ni-e uš-ti-ip-ti-ni ⸢áš⸣-gu-ú-li LÚbu-ra-áš-tú-ú-li
4 KURa-da-hu-ni KURú-e-li-ku-hi KURlu-e-ru-hi-e
5 KURar-qu-qi-i-ni 4 LUGALMEŠ i-na-ni ap-ti-ni ṣu-i-ni-a-[ni]
6 KURgur-qu-me-li KURšá-na-ṭu-a-i-ni KURte-ri-ú-i-šá-i-ni
7 KURri-šú-a-i-ni KUR⸢še⸣-zu-a-i-ni KURa-ri-a-i-ni KURza-ma-a-ni
8 KURir-qi-ma-i-ni KURe-la-i-ni KURe-ri-⸢el⸣-tú-a-i-ni
9 KURa-i-da-ma-ni-ú-ni KURgu-ri-a-i-ni KURal-zi-ra-ni
10 KURtú-ru-a-i-ni KURši-la-a-i-ni KURú-i-du-a-i-ni
11 KURa-ṭè-za-a-i-ni KURe-ri-a-i-ni KURa-za-me-ru-ni-ni
12 [19] LUGALMEŠ i-šá-ni ap-ti-ni ṣu-i-ni-a-ni KURba-ba-ni-a
13 ⸢ku⸣-ru-ni-e PAP 23 LUGALMEŠ šú-si-ni MU ⸢KÚR⸣MEŠ áš-gu-bi
14 ʾa-še MUNUSlu-túMEŠ KURbi-a-i-na-di pa-ru-bi me-ši-ni šá-a-li
15 [nu?]-na-a-di ši-di-iš-tú-ú-li i-⸢ni-li⸣ É.GALMEŠ
16 [i]-⸢nu⸣-ki KURe-ba-a-ni ⸢LÚEN⸣.NAM e-di-[a te-ru]-⸢ú⸣-bi
17 [e]-ʾa i-ni É.GAL ba-du-si-[e ši-di]-iš-tú-bi [te-ru-bi ti]-ni
18 dIM-i URU KURbi-a-na-[ú-e uš]-ma-še KURKÚRMEŠ [na-pa-hi-a-i-di]
19 mru-sa-a-še a-li-e a-[lu-še] i-ni ⸢DUB⸣-te tú-li-⸢e⸣ [tú-ri-ni-ni]
20 dUTU-[še ma]-⸢a⸣-ni ti-ni ⸢ar⸣-[mu-zi ar]-mu-zi-gi [dUTU-ni pi-e-ni]
Translation:
“(1) [Through] the protection of the god Haldi, Rusa, son of Sarduri, says: I conquered these lands in a single military campaign, and I defeated them. (4) The land Adahuni, the land Uelikuhi, the land Lueruhe, the land Arquqini, four kings on this side of the lake. (6) I defeated the land Gurqumeli, the land Šanaṭuai, the land Teriušai, the land Rišuai, the land Šezuai, the land Ariai, the land Zama, the land Irqimai, the land Elai, the land Ereltuai, the land Aidamaniu, the land Guriai, the land Alzira, the land Turuaini, the land Šilaini, the land Uiduai, the land Atezai, the land Eriai, the land Azameruni, [19] kings on the other side of the lake, behind(?) the mountains. (13b) Altogether I conquered 23 kings as enemies in one year; I deported men and women to the Bia lands with yearly tribute. (15) I came (and) I built these fortresses in this region, I [install]ed a governor here, and I [bui]lt this fortress to perfection, (and) [I gave it the na]me ‘City of the Weather-God’, as [pr]otection of the Bia lands and [for the intimidation] of the enemy lands. (19) Rusa says: (as for the one) wh[o destroys] this [in]scription, may the Sun-God [annihilate h]im, (his) name and (his) off[springʹs off]spring [under the sun (or: the Sun-God].”
References:
Salvini, M. 2002. “The Historical Geography of the Sevan Region in the Urartian Period,” in The North-Eastern Frontier. Urartians and Non-Urartians in the Sevan Lake Basin. I. The Southern Shores, eds. R. Biscione, S. Hmayakyan & N. Parmegiani, Documenta Asiana 7, Rome, pp. 37–60 (56–57).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 496–497, v. 3 pp. 293–294, v. 5 pp. 283–284.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q007086).
CTU A 10-2 = CICh 147 = HchI 118 = UKN 266 = KUKN 389
Image Sources:
Travis Witt, 2009 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Vasil Gventsadze, 2025