Musasir

Muṣaṣir or Ardini (Persian موساسیر, Urartian Ardini (probably Arteni of Hurrian, city), Assyrian KURMu -sa -sir, Mu-ṣa-ṣi-ru/ri/a / URUMu -sa -si -ra- aa, Babylonian KURMuṣāṣir ) was a country in the Zagros. Capital was the city of the same name Muṣaṣir.

Location

The exact location of the city Muṣaṣir is not secured, although the country could be positively identified himself. Most researchers now think that Muṣaṣir was around Topzawa.

• Thureau - Dangin assumed that Muṣaṣir was in the Hakkari Mountains.
• Boehmer (see under Literature ) identified Mudjesir at Sidekan, 10 km west of Topzawa as Muṣaṣir. Sargon II mentioned in his annals, that the country is Muṣaṣir to four high mountains. From today's ruins Mudjesir four mountains are seen adjacent to the Schito mountain range.
• The Helsinki Atlas Muṣaṣir located in the area of Rawanduz, about 80 km northeast of Arbil.
• Reza Heidari, an archaeologist of the "Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization " of West Azerbaijan wants to identify Rabat Tepe near Sardasht in Iran with Muṣaṣir.

History

The first mention of Muṣaṣir can be found at Assur- Nasirpal II, BC on the banquet stele from Nimrud 879 describes the inauguration of his palace in Kalhu. For this ten-day royal feast among others, the delegates of the countries Gurgum, Melidu, Ḫubuškia, Gilzanu, Kuma and KURMuṣaṣirāja had appeared.

The Kel -i -Shin stele, an Urartian - Assyrian bilingual from Kel- i- shin, a pass through the Zagros Mountains, mentioned the pilgrimage of the Urartian king Išpuini and his son Minua for Haldi Shrine in Muṣaṣir where they rich the God giving offerings.

Išpuini took Muṣaṣir about 810 BC in possession and called the city Ardini.

In the 31st year of the reign of Shalmaneser III. conquered the turtānu Dayan - Ashur 828 BC the city Zapparia along with 46 villages of the country Muṣaṣir. Earlier, King Dada Ḫubuškia, which was at that time at the borders Urartus, paid tribute. The Kurkh monolith leads Muṣaṣir among the conquests in Urartu on, all the other inscriptions of Šulmanu - ašared III. lead, however, to Arzaškun at the point of Muṣaṣir. Under Sargon II Muṣaṣir was claimed by both Urartu and of Assyria. On the stele of Topzawa reported Rusa I of Urartu to have King Urzana to his office, Sargon, however, saw him as an Assyrian vassal, who refused to pay tribute (God's letter, lines 306-308 ).

In his eighth Palu ( regnal year ), ie 714, as Ishtar -Duri was limu ( eponymous officer ), Sargon II waged a campaign in the Zagros. Sargon originally wanted to bring especially Andia and Zikirtu under his control. Ullusunu Mannai, according to Assyrian information a vassal of Sargon, had asked for help against Rusa I of Urartu. Sargon Rusa struck on the mountain Vout, plundered parts Urartus without being able to conquer the capital and plundered, perhaps to make up for this failure on the return march Muṣaṣir. King Urzana was captured. About the campaign report:

• The God's letter to Ashur;
• The Eponymenchronik: campaign against Urartu, the city of Muṣaṣir, Haldia;
• The Nineveh Prism: campaign against Rusa of Urartu, list of prey from Muṣaṣir;
• The Annals of Khorsabad: Tribute Mannaeans and Medes, campaign against Urartu and Muṣaṣir.

The report on the non-combat taking Muṣaṣir is the culmination of God's letter. Only a charioteer, two horsemen and three foot soldiers have when taking Muṣaṣir lost their lives .. The plundering of the temple as well as the removal of prey, including the statues of Haldi, are described. The prey is listed in detail (God's letter, lines 309-414 ). In abbreviated form Sargon reported elsewhere:

" Rusa of Urartu I. I opened the inaccessible mountains Vout and 250 of his royal clan I captured. 55 provided with strong walls of his eight cities areas along with eleven of his castles conquered and burned me. [ ... ] Muṣaṣir that rely on Rusa of Urartu itself [ ... ] had [ ... ] I covered grasshoppers with equal masses of troops. [ ... ] Rusa [ ... ] heard that Muṣaṣir destroyed his God was dragged away, and took [ ... ] with the iron daggers of his belt life. "

The list of loot is impressive:

" Precious Stones in quantities scepter of ivory, set in silver, the possession and the gods of this palace, colored garments, linen garments without number I got. Haldi and his wife Bagbartu, with the possession of his temple ... four Talentee, three mines of gold, 162 talents, twenty mines silver, 3600 talents unprocessed copper, 27 silver objects, countless articles of bronze and iron, a praying statue of the king Ishtar - duri, son of Išpuini, King of Urartu, his seat of copper, with a bull of copper, a copper cow and a calf made ​​of copper I carried away with me, to Assyria I brought it. The remaining gods I left there. "

In addition, 6210 people, 12 mules, 380 donkeys, 525 cattle, 1285 sheep, the woman, the sons and the daughters Rusas were deported.

The following ninth year of reign ( 713), the king remained after Eponymenchronik in the country, while his nobles resulted in Ellipi war. Rusa reappears in the list of his enemies. This year, the statue of Haldi was returned to Muṣaṣir. It is even considered that it was possible Rusa to regain control of Musasir.

Buildings

In the city Muṣaṣir was a tower - temple ( susi ) of the Urartian main dḪaldi God. The statue was the god with his wife Bagmaštu. The names suggest a migration of the deities, and could indicate Iranian origin.

Kings of Musasir

• Urzana

Cities and Strongholds

• Muṣaṣir
• Sapparia