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Topada Inscription

Late Hittite time Luwian hieroglyph rock inscription. It is near the Ağıllı village of Acıgöl (formerly Topada) in Nevşehir province. The script is carved on a piece of rock that sticks out, on the eastern face of a rock wall of about a 5 meter high plateu. Script consist of 8 lines all separated by drawn lines. There was also a short one-line "scribal inscription" to the right of the main one, which is apparently destroyed now. The well preserved inscriptions are from Late Hittite Tabal kingdom. The inscription starts as "[Great K]ing Wasusarmas Great King, the Hero, Son of the Great King Tuwatis, the Hero". It is a commemorative inscription about Wasusarmas, describing political and military events, a fight against the city Parzuta. Sivasa, Sultanhanı, and Kayseri are also monuments of Wasusarmas. Three other king names - Warpalawas (Bor, İvriz, Bulgarmaden), Kiyakiyas (Aksaray) and Ruwatas - are mentioned as allies and use of cavalry is mentioned several times. The Tabal King Wasusarmas is known from Assyrian sources as Wassurme who was defeated by Tiglathpileser III. Thus the monument is dated to the second half of 8th century BCE.

About 50 meter west of the monument one line of strange inscriptions were found on a 1.10 meter length rock. Researchers believe it does not belong to Hittite times, but the script was not deciphered.

38°29'34.6 N - 34°28'48.4 E Google Earth location (exact)


Click on pictures for a larger image.

E.Rossner D.Morgan D.Morgan D.Morgan
D.Morgan D.Morgan
E.Rossner second inscription - E.Rossner



Image sources:
Eberhard Rossner, Die hethitischen Felsreliefs in der Türkei. 1988, ISBN 3924390029, photo K.Domisch.
David Morgan, 2008