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Emirgazi Altars

Five altars made of black basalt have been found at Emirgazi in secondary locations around 1904 and 1906. Four of the round altars (A, B, C, D) apparently have the same hieroglyphic Luwian inscription (EMİRGAZİ 1). The fifth piece in rectangular shape, heavily damaged by secondary usage in later centuries, also has a text with similar context (EMİRGAZİ 2). A sixth piece obtained in 1953 in Emirgazi from a local villager is the corner fragment of another rectangular block which has partially visible single line inscription on its two vertically meeting sides (EMİRGAZİ 3).

The text on the altars refers to steles (which may imply the altars themselves) dedicated to a divine mountain (Mt. Sarpa). Hawkins suggests the mentioned mountain might be Arisama Dağ considering the proximity of the location where altars were found, and adds that a second mountain referred to as "Axe Mountain" in the text may be Karaca Dağ to the south. King Tudhaliya (IV) is mentioned in the text as the dedicator, therefore they date to second half of the 13th century BCE. Altars and the rectangular block are currently in Istanbul Museum. The sixth fragment is in Konya Museum.

Click on the pictures for larger images.

EMİRGAZİ 1A
Emirgazi 1A - B. Bilgin, 2006 Emirgazi 1A - B. Bilgin, 2006 Emirgazi 1A - T. Bilgin, 2012 Emirgazi 1A - T. Bilgin, 2012 Emirgazi 1A - J. D. Hawkins, 2006
EMİRGAZİ 1B
Emirgazi 1B - B. Bilgin, 2006 Emirgazi 1B - B. Bilgin, 2006 Emirgazi 1B - B. Bilgin, 2006 Emirgazi 1B - B. Bilgin, 2006 Emirgazi 1B - J. D. Hawkins, 2006
EMİRGAZİ 1C
Emirgazi 1C - E. Masson, 1979a Emirgazi 1C - E. Masson, 1979a
EMİRGAZİ 1D
Emirgazi 1C - E. Masson, 1979a Emirgazi 1D - E. Masson, 1979a
EMİRGAZİ 2
EMİRGAZİ 2, A yüzü - B. Bilgin, 2006 EMİRGAZİ 2, A yüzü - B. Bilgin, 2006 EMİRGAZİ 2, B yüzü - B. Bilgin, 2006 EMİRGAZİ 2 - E. Masson, 1979a
EMİRGAZİ 3
EMİRGAZİ 3 - B. Bilgin, 2008 EMİRGAZİ 3 - B. Bilgin, 2008



Literature:
Alp, S. "Eine weitere Hieroglypheninschrift aus Emirgazi," FsOtten, 1973: 11-13 and fig. 1a-c.
Hawkins, J. D. "Appendix 2. EMIRGAZI altars," in The hieroglyphic inscription of the Sacred Pool Complex at Hattusa (Sudburg), StBoT Beiheft 3, 1995: 86-102.
Hawkins, J. D. "Tudhaliya the Hunter," FsDeRoos, 2006: 49-76.
Masson, E. "Les inscriptions louvites hiéroglyphiques d'Emirgazi," Journal des Savants, 1979a: 3-49.
Masson, E. "Quelques lectures nouvelles sur les inscriptions hiéroglyphiques louvites d'Emirgazi," FsSzemerényi, Amsterdam, 1979b: 537-47, Fig.3.
Woudhuizen F. C. "The Luwian Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Emirgazi Stone Altars," in Ancient West and East v.1, 2002: 67-86.

Image sources:
Bora Bilgin, 2006, 2008.
Tayfun Bilgin, 2012.
John D. Hawkins, 2006.
Emilia Masson, 1979a.