Arsuz Steles

The Arsuz steles were found in 2007 near the Uluçınar village of Arsuz, Hatay within the territory of a Turkish navy base. The steles are made of porous basalt and almost identical in size and content. They are in the shape of a rectangular column with a rounded top. Dimensions are approximately 2.2 m in height and roughly 0.5 meter in width on each side. On the front faces of both is a Storm God holding the hand of a male figure, presumably the king, and they are below a winged sun disk. While on Arsuz 1 the figures are standing above a stylized plant/tree, on Arsuz 2 they are above a bull. On the other three faces of each is the same Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription written in 9 lines and 8 lines, respectively. The inscription identifies the author as Suppiluliuma, king of the land of Walastin and the son of king Manana. Walastin is the Luwian name of the Tell Tayinat-based Neo-Hittite kingdom. The text describes the successful campaigns of the king against the city of Adana and the land of Hiyawa. They are dated approximately to the end of the 10th century BCE. The steles are displayed in the Hatay Museum.


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