Milestone Of Khān Al-Hathrūra From The Time Of ʿAbd al-Malik, 65-86 AH / 685-705 CE
Islamic Awareness
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First Composed: 6th December 2005
Last Updated: 3rd January 2010
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Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Figure (a) the original inscription, (b) its plaster cast, (c) its trace and (d) its contents.
Date
65-86 AH / 685-705 CE.
This milestone is from Khān al-Hathrūra, Palestine, on the road between Jerusalem and Damascus. The marble slab contains seven lines engraved in bas-relief. The first two lines are broken off.
Accession Number
TIEM Inv. No. 2511 (‘Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi Inv. No. 2511’)
Size Of The Slab
40 cm. x 30 cm.
Script
Kufic.
Contents
The translation of the inscription is:
- ... and blessings [be upon him] ...
- Has ordered the repair of the road and construction
- of the milestones. Servant of
- God ʿAbd al-Malik
- Commander of the faithful, may God's mercy be
- on him. From Damascus till this
- milestone, (there are) 109 miles.
Location
Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi (Turkish and Islamic Art Museum), Istanbul, Turkey.
References
[1] M. van Berchem, Matériaux Pour Un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum, 1920, Tome 2 / 3, Mémoires publiés par les membres de l'Institut Français d'archéologie orientale du Caire, Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale: Le Caire, Plate II:1.
[2] M. van Berchem, Matériaux Pour Un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum, 1922, Tome 2 / 1, Jérusalem "Ville", Mémoires publiés par les membres de l'Institut Français d'archéologie orientale du Caire, Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale: Le Caire, No. 1, pp. 17-18 and p. 21. The inscription was also reproduced by Adolf Grohmann in Arabische Paläographie II: Das Schriftwesen. Die Lapidarschrift, 1971, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften Philosophisch - Historische Klasse: Denkschriften 94/2. Hermann Böhlaus Nachf.: Wein, p. 83.
[3] S. Şahin, The Museum Of Turkish And Islamic Arts - Thirteen Centuries Of Glory From The Umayyads To The Ottomans, 2009, Blue Dome Press: New York (NY), p. 20 (part of the inscription) and p. 26 (full inscription).
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