The Karsakpay inscription (also called the Timur's stone) is a message carved on April 28, 1391 into a fragment of rock in Ulu Tagh mountainside near the

Karsakpay Karsakpay (Korsakpay Plant; , ''Qarsaqpaı''; ), is a town in the Ulytau Region, Kazakhstan. Population: Known for its cold climate and the beautiful lake its situated next to. Geography Karsakpay is located on a mostly flat and arid plain at ...

mines, Kazakhstan. It was found in 1935. It consists of three lines in

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, and eight lines in Chagatai, written in the

Old Uyghur alphabet The Old Uyghur alphabet was a list of alphabets used by Turkic languages, Turkic script used for writing Old Uyghur, a variety of Old Turkic spoken in Turpan and Gansu that is the ancestor of the modern Western Yugur language. The term "Old Uyghu ...

. After its discovery, the Karsakpay inscription was taken to the

Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum ( rus, Государственный Эрмитаж, r=Gosudarstvennyj Ermitaž, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj ɪrmʲɪˈtaʂ, links=no) is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and holds the large ...

in Leningrad (now

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

) in 1936, where it is today. The inscription mentions how

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

is asking to those reading the inscription to remember him with a prayer. The inscription was researched and published by

Nicholas Poppe Nicholas Poppe (; 8 August 18978 June 1991) was a Russian linguist and Nazi collaborator. He is also known as Nikolaus Poppe, with his first name in its German form. He is often cited as N.N. Poppe in academic publications. Poppe was a leading ...

in 1940, and later researched by Napil Bazilhan,

Hasan Eren Hasan Eren (15 March 1919, Vidin, Kingdom of Bulgaria – 26 May 2007, Ankara, Turkey) was a Turkish academic etymologist, linguist, Turkologist, and Hungarologist specializing in Turkish language, other Turkic languages, and Hungarian langua ...

, Olga Borisovna Frolova, A. P. Grigoryev, N.N. Telitsyn, A.N. Ponomarev and

Zeki Velidi Togan Zeki Velidi Togan (, , ; 1890 – 1970 in Istanbul), was a Turkish- Bashkir historian, Turkologist, and leader of the Bashkir revolutionary and liberation movement, doctor of philosophy (1935), professor, honorary doctor of the University of Man ...

Measurements

The inscription measures 80x40 centimeters. The depth of the carvings are within 1.5–2 millimeters. The distance between Arabic and Chagatai lines are 18 centimeters.

Description

The inscription notes the crossing of Timur, a

Turco-Mongol The Turco-Mongol or Turko-Mongol tradition was an ethnocultural synthesis that arose in Asia during the 14th century among the ruling elites of the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Khanate. The ruling Mongol elites of these khanates eventually ass ...

conqueror, and his 200,000 men in pursuit of campaign against

Tokhtamysh Tokhtamysh ( Turki/ Kypchak and Persian: توقتمش; ; ; – 1406) was Khan of the Golden Horde from 1380 to 1395. He briefly succeeded in consolidating the Blue and White Hordes into a single polity. Tokhtamysh belonged to the House of Bo ...

, a ruler of the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

from 1378 to 1395, and the route that passed through the semi-desert regions of

Betpak-Dala Betpak-Dala or Betpaqdala (, ''Betpaqdala''; from Turkic ''batpak'', “swampy,” or Persian ''bedbaht'', “unlucky” and Turkic ''dala'', “plain”; Russian: Бетпак-Дала or Сeверная Голодная степь, lit. ''Hung ...

. In ''

Zafarnama Zafarnama () is the title of a number of Persian and Turkish literary works Zafarnama may refer to: * ''Zafarnama'' or ''Timurnama'', a Persian epic poem by Hatefi about Timur * ''Zafarnama'' (Shami biography), a history of the ruler Timur by Niz ...

'' (''Book of Victories''), written in the first quarter of the 15th century, its author

Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi or Sharif al-Din Ali’ Yazdi (; died 1454, Yazd), also known by his pen name Sharaf, was a 15th-century Persian scholar who authored several works in the arts and sciences, including mathematics, astronomy, enigma, liter ...

gives one historical event of that campaign:

For a joyful survey of that steppe, Timur ascended to the top of the mountain, the whole plain was all green. He stayed there that day, (then) a high order came out, so that the soldiers brought stones and a high sign, like a lighthouse was put in that place. Master stonecutters inscribed on it the date of that day, so that to leave the reminder on the face of time.

Complete text

Arabic

Arabic transliteration: ''(by the International Turkic Academy)'' :''Bismillaahirrahmanirrahim'' :''Malikul mulikl kuddusul hakkul muminul muhayminul zabbarul'' :''kadirul hakimul mumitul hayiu'' Translation: : In the name of Allah, the gracious, the merciful : Lord of Existence, Sanctuary of Truth, Vigilant Protector, Almighty and All-Powerful : Wise Giver of Life and Death

Chagatai

Chagatai transliteration: :''Tariq yettı yuz yıl toqsan üçintä qoy yaznıŋ ara ay'' :Turannıŋ sultānı Timurbäg üç yuz miŋ çärig bilä :''Islām üçün Toqtamışqan bulğar qanıqa yurıdı'' :''Bu yergä yetip bälgü bolzun tep bu obanı qopardı'' :''Täŋri nısbat bergäy inşalla'' :''Täŋri ul kişikä rahmat qılğay bizni duā bıla yād qılğay'' Translation: :Summer seven hundred and ninety-three, in the middle spring month of the year of the sheep :Sultan of Turan Timur-Bey went up with three hundred thousand troops :for Islam on the Bulgarian Khan Toktamysh Khan. :Reaching the area, he built this mound to have been a memorial. :God willing, the Lord would execute justice! :The Lord will have mercy to the people of the country! Yes, they will remember us with prayer! Chagatai transliteration: ''(by International Turkic Academy)'' :''Tarıh /Qara ?/ yetı yüz toksan üçinte /Toqmaq orna-da ?/ qoy yıl yaznıŋ ara ay'' :''Turannıŋ sultanı Temür bek iki (üč ?) yüz mıŋ čerik bile'' :''Ismi üčün Toqtamıš qan bulğar qanığa yorıdı'' :''Bu yerge yetip belgü bolsun tep bu obanı qopardı'' :''Teŋrı nisfat bergeı insi-alla'' :''Teŋrı el kisige rahmat qılğay bız-nı duwa bıle yad qılğay''

References

{{Timurid Empire Arabic inscriptions Archaeological sites in Kazakhstan Turkic inscriptions 14th-century inscriptions Timur 1935 archaeological discoveries Chagatai Turkic literature