Milestone Of Khān Al-Hathrūra From The Time Of ‘Abd al-Malik, 65-86 AH / 685-705 CE

Islamic Awareness

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First Composed: 6th December 2005

Last Modified: 28th February 2007

Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

Figure (a) the original inscription, (b) its plaster cast, (c) its trace and (d) its contents.

[] encloses letters supplied to fill a lacuna

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.

Size Of The Slab

41 cm. x 40 cm.

Script

Kufic.

Contents

The translation of the inscription is:

  1. ... and blessings [be upon him] ...

  2. Has ordered the repair of the road and construction

  3. of the milestones. Servant of

  4. God ‘Abd al-Malik

  5. Commander of the faithful, may God's mercy be

  6. on him. From Damascus till this

  7. milestone, (there are) 109 miles.

Location

Museum Çinili Köşk, Istanbul.

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.

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