Elmalık / Zivistan (A 2-2A–G)
At least seven cylindrical stones, likely column bases, all carved with the same three-line inscription, feature identical content on each line. This practice of repetition was also adopted by later kings of Urartu. The stones are about 77 to 80 cm in diameter and very likely all originated from the Zivistan fortress, near the village of Elmalık, about 12 km south of Van. Three of the stones (D, E, F) are in the Georgian Museum in Tbilisi and one of them (G) is in the British Museum. Two stones were recently (in 2005 and 2013) brought to the Van Museum and whether they correspond to the previously reported ones (A, B, C) remains uncertain. All of them date to the reign of Išpuini.
Transliteration:
A–G:
1 miš-pu-ú-i-ni-i-še mdsar5-du-ú-ri-e-hi-ni-e-še i-ni É-e za-a-du-ú-ni
2 miš-pu-ú-i-ni-i-še mdsar5-du-ú-ri-e-hi-ni-e-še i-ni É-e za-a-du-ú-ni
3 miš-pu-ú-i-ni-i-še mdsar5-du-ú-ri-e-hi-ni-e-še i-ni É-e za-a-du-ú-ni
Translation:
“Išpuini, son of Sarduri, built this building.”
References:
Işık, K. 2019. “Urartian inscriptions at the Van Museum. A New Collection,” in Over the Mountains and Far Away (Fs Salvini), eds. P. V. Avetisyan, R. Dan & Y. H. Grekyan, Oxford, pp. 296–303 (301–302).
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 107–108, v. 3 pp. 56–57, v. 5 pp. 45–46.
Tseretheli, G. V. 1939. Urartskie Pamjatniki Muzeja Gruzii/The Urartean Monuments in the Georgian Museum Tbilissi, Tbilisi (Plts. X–XII).
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006877).
CTU A 2-2A–G = CICh 4a–f, 6A = HchI 4a–g = UKN 4–10, 13 = KUKN 8–13, 16
Image Sources:
G. V. Tseretheli, 1939
Bora Bilgin, 2024
British Museum
Elmalık / Zivistan (A 2-3a–d)
Four inscribed stone fragments, the largest being about 0.5 meters in length, probably belong to the same inscription. At the end of the 19th century, they were walled up in an Armenian house in Zivistan, today Elmalık, about 12 km south of the city of Van. They very likely originated from the Zivistan Fortress. Today their whereabouts are unknown. The inscription is thought to date to the reign of Išpuini, on account of the mention of his name.
Transliteration:
A 2-3a
1 d]hal-di-ni-ni al-s[u-i-ši-ni
2 ]-li-e mu-ú-x[
3 ]-gi-ni te-[
4 d]qu-e-ra [
A 2-3b
1 ]É? a-še[
2 ]-si? [x]-gu-bi[
A 2-3c
1 miš-pu-ú-i]-ni-ka-i[
2 ]-na-a ta-ra-[
3 ]-ni hu-[
A 2-3d
1 -l]i-e te-[
2 ]-li-e [
3 ]x-nu-ni [
Translation:
A 2-3a: “Through the greatn[ess] of the god Haldi [… …] the god Quera […”
A 2-3b: “[…] house(?) … […]”
A 2-3c: “… ]in front of [Išpu]ini [… …”
References:
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 109, v. 5 pp. 46–47.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006878)
CTU A 2-3a–d = CICh 5A–D = HchI 3a–d = UKN 11A–D = KUKN 14A–D
Elmalık / Zivistan (A 2-4)
The 25 cm by 28 cm stone fragment was once discovered in the church of Zivistan, but currently missing.
Transliteration:
1 m]iš-pu-[(ú)-i-ni
2 ]bi me [
References:
Salvini, M. 2008–2018. Corpus dei Testi Urartei, v. 1 pp. 109–110, v. 5 p. 47.
eCUT – Electronic Corpus of Urartian Texts (https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ecut/Q006879).
CTU A 2-4 = CICh 6 = HchI 2 = UKN 12 = KUKN 15