Yazılıtaş Rock Inscription, Horasan (A 5-3)
The 36-line inscription is carved into a rectangular rock niche situated near the village of Yazılıtaş in the Horasan district of Erzurum. The well-preserved niche stands a few meters above the ground and measures 1.92 meters in height, 1.70 meters in width, and 45 cm in depth. It is a celebratory inscription by Minua, commemorating a successful military campaign in the region.
Transliteration:
1 dhal-di-ni uš-ta-bi ma-si-ni GIŠšú-ri-i-e
2 mdi-a-ú-e-hi-ni-e-di KURtar-a-i-ú-e-di
3 dhal-di-i ku-ru-ni dhal-di-ni GIŠšú-ri-i
4 ku-ru-ni dhal-di-i-ni-ni uš-ma-a-ši-ni
5 uš-ta-bi mmì-nu-a-ni miš-pu-ú-i-ni-e-hi
6 ú-lu-uš-ta-i-bi dhal-di-ni mmì-nu-a-še
7 a-li-e ha-ú-bi mdi-a-ú-e-hi KUR-ni-i-e
8 URUšá-ši-lu-ni URU MAN-si ha-ú-bi gu-nu-šá-a
9 KURe-ba-a-ni a-ma-áš-tú-bi É.GALMEŠ-ši-li
10 ku-ṭu-ú-bi pa-a-ri-e KURše-še-e-ti-i-na-a
11 URUzu-a-i-na-a URUu-ṭu-ha-a-i a-su-ni
12 mmì-nu-a-še a-li-e mú-ṭu-bu-ur-ši-ni MAN
13 mdi-i-a-ú-e-hi nu-na-bi ka-a-i-ú-ki4
14 šá-tú-a-li ku-ri-e-li su-lu-uš-ti-i-bi
15 si-lu-a-di ma-ku-ri ʾa-al-du-bi me-ši-ni pi-i
16 a-ru-ú-ni GUŠKIN KÙ.BABBARMEŠ a-ru-ú-ni me-e-še
17 a-li LÚta-áš-mu-še be-di ma-a-nu bi-du-ni
18 i-bi-i-ra-a-ni mmì-nu-ú-a-še a-li-e
19 ka-am-na-a-hi a-li mdi-a-ú-e-hi-ni-i
20 ANŠE.KUR.RAMEŠ-ú-ú LÚA.SIMEŠ ʾa-a-ha-a-ú
21 LÚA.SIMEŠ-áš-te ú-i ú-ni a-šá-a-zi-e
22 hi-i-ni-e ši-ú-bi LÚhu-ú-ra-⸢di-na⸣-a
23 ma-a-si-ni-e-i-a-ni a-šá-zi-e ⸢ú-ú⸣-še
24 2 MANMEŠ-li-li e-di-ni su-ṭu-qu-⸢ú⸣-bi
25 mba-al-tú-ú-ul-hi-e KURe-ba-a-ni-i-e
26 URUha-al-di-ri-ul-hi KURe-ba-a-ni-i-e
27 É.GALMEŠ-a-ši-li a-gu-ú-nu-ni-e-li
28 KURe-ba-ni-a-ṣi e-di-ni su-ṭu-qu-bi
29 mmì-nu-a-še a-li-e a-lu-še i-ni DUB-te
30 tú-li-i-e a-lu-še pi-tú-li-i-e
31 a-lu-še a-i-ni-⸢i⸣ i-ni-li du-li-e
32 a-lu-še ú-li-še ti-ú-li-e i-e-še za-du-bi
33 tú-ri-ni-ni dhal-di-še dIM-še dUTU-ni-⸢še⸣
34 DINGIRMEŠ-še ma-a-ni dUTU-ni pi-i-ni mì-i ar-hi
35 ú-ru-li-a-ni mì-i i-na-i-ni
36 mì-i na-ra-a a-ú-i-e ú-lu-li-e
Translation:
“(1) The god Haldi set off with his weapon against the Diauehi and against the land Taraiu. (3) Behind(?) the god Haldi, behind(?) the weapon of the god Haldi (4b) through the protection of the god Haldi Minua, son of Išpuini, set off. The god Haldi marched (ahead of the troops). (6b) Minua says: I conquered the land of the Diauehi. I took the city Šašiluni, the royal city, in battle, (9) I set the land on fire together with its fortress. (10) I send (the troops) to the land Šešetina and to the city Zuaina (which is) close to the city Uṭuha. (12) Minua says: Uṭuburšini, king of the Diauehi, came in front of me, (14) he kissed my feet, he prostrated (before me) and . . . I put him under tribute. (16) He gave gold and silver, and he paid the tribute, (17) which was on behalf of Tašmuše he returned it. (18b) Minua says: The . . . of the Diauehi, whose cavalry and troops (were?) gathered(?), and not even(?) to the troops . . . (22) At this time I took the troops away (23) from his . . . , furthermore I besieged(?) two kings, (25) the one of the land of the Baltuhi, (26) and the one of the land of the city Haldiriuhi, (27) together with their fortified fortresses. (28) I besieged(?) it from the interior of the land. (29) Minua says: (As for the one) who destroys this inscription, (as for the one) who damages it, (31) (as for the one) who makes anyone else do these things, (as for the one) who says: ‘I made it’ (33) may the god Haldi, the Weather-God, the Sun-God, and (all other) gods, annihilate him under the sun! … (rest untranslatable)”
References:
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 189–191, v. 3 p. 117, v. 5 pp. 105–107.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006901).
CTU A 5-3 = CICh 27 = HchI 23 = UKN 36 = KUKN 53
Image Sources:
Bora Bilgin, 2024
Ertuğrul Anıl, 2024