Garni, Urartian Inscription

The Urartian king Argište I (r.c.785-756 BCE) expanded his kingdom from Tušpa (modern Van) to the northeast. In Garni, he defeated a local ruler; returning home, he took with him several captives. This is known from an inscription which Argište erected in the fortress of Garni. The Urartian text is as follows:

^DHal-di-ni al-su-ši-[ni]
^mAr-gi-iš-ti-še a-li
ha-ú-bi ^KUR[G]i-[a]r-ni-a-ni
^mSi-lu-ni KUR-ni-e
šú-ia-ni ^šADÚb[a-b]a-[n]a-ni
a-li bi-di-i-a-[di]
’a-še ^SALlu-[tú] pa-ru-b[i]

Which can be translated as:

By the power of Khaldi, Argište says:
"I conquered the land of Giarniani, the country of king Siluni.
Returning from the mountains of my enemies, I drove away men and women."

The inscription, written on stele made of basalt, was found in 1963 in the audience hall of the third-century CE palace.