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Topada Inscription

This Neo-Hittite period Hieroglyphic Luwian rock inscription is located near the Ağıllı village of Acıgöl (formerly Topada) in Nevşehir province. The inscription is carved on the flattened surface of a rock that sticks out from the eastern face of a rocky wall of about 5-meter high plateau. It consists 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 was apparently destroyed sometime before 1986. Well preserved inscription is associated with the Neo-Hittite era kingdom of Tabal. It begins as: "[Great K]ing Wasusarma Great King, the Hero, son of the Great King Tuwati, the Hero". It is a commemorative inscription about Wasusarma the King of Tabal, describing political and military events that mainly revolve around a fight against the city of Parzuta. Sivasa, Sultanhanı, Göstesin and Kayseri are other monuments that also mention Wasusarma. Three other kings - Warpalawa (Bor, İvriz, Bulgarmaden), Kiyakiya (Aksaray) and Ruwata - are mentioned as allies of Wasusarma and use of cavalry is mentioned several times. The Tabal King Wasusarma is known from Assyrian sources as Wassurme who was defeated by Tiglath-Pileser III. Thus the monument is dated to the second half of the 8th century BCE.


Click on the pictures for larger images.

View of the Topada monument from a distance across the field - T. Bilgin, 2019 Aerial view of the Topada monument from a distance - T. Bilgin, 2019 View of the Topada monument, partially covered in shadow - T. Bilgin, 2009 View of both of the inscribed surfaces - T. Bilgin, 2019 View of both of the inscribed surfaces - E. Anıl, 2019 View of both of the inscribed surfaces - I. Simon, 2015 Close up of the right side - E. Anıl, 2019 Close up of the left side - I. Simon, 2015 Close up of the left side - E. Anıl, 2019 A drawing of the inscription published by David Hawkins in 2000



Literature:
Ehringhaus, H. Das Ende, das ein Anfang war: Felsreliefs und Felsinschriften der luwischen Staaten Kleinasiens vom 12. bis 8./7. Jahrh. v. Chr., Mainz, 2014: 33–40.
Hawkins, J. D. Corpus of Hieroglyphic Luwian Inscriptions, Vol 1, Berlin, 2000: 451-61 ve lev. 250–3.
Payne, A. Iron Age Hieroglyphic Luwian Inscriptions, Atlanta, 2012: 54–59.
Weeden, M. "Tuwati and Wasusarma: Imitating the Behavior of Assyria," Iraq 72, 2010: 39–61.
Woudhuizen, F. C. "Great King Wasusarmas' Victory Memorial at Topada," Ancient West & East 6, 2007: 23–41.

Image sources:
Tayfun Bilgin, 2009, 2019.
Ertuğrul Anıl, 2019.
Ingeborg Simon, (CC BY-SA 3.0), 2015.
J. David Hawkins, 2000.