EPIGRAPHIC DISKS AND HORSEMEN RELIEFS ON THE STELAS FROM THE FAMILY CEMETERY OF KAITAG RULERS

Authors

  • Mahac Abdulaevic Musaev The Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Daghestan Scientific Centre of RAS 0000-0003-4757-5525 (unauthenticated)
  • Samil' Sihalievic Sihaliev The Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Daghestan Scientific Centre of RAS 0000-0003-3322-0256 (unauthenticated)
  • Magomed Gadzievic Sehmagomedov The Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Daghestan Scientific Centre of RAS

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32653/CH152259-281

Keywords:

Arabic epigraphy, Qala-Quraysh, Kaitag, stone reliefs, necropolistics.

Abstract

The paper presents some of the study results of the family cemetery of hereditary rulers of Kaitag, located in Qala-Quraysh. During several expeditions in 2017–2018, more than 40 stelas, dating XIV c. – 1803/04, were studied. Names of the deceased, dates of their death, and other historical information, as well as poems, religious sayings, prayers and Quran Ayat in Arabic are inscribed on them. The stelas are made with high craftsmanship, distinguished by the refinement of the ornament and the elegance of epigraphic ribbons. Each stela of the necropolis can be described as a work of art. Among other interesting finds there are ten epigraphic disks on the stelas of the XVI–XVIII c. They are carved on the backsides of the monuments, have common composition, ornament, and similar contents: prayers to Allah for mercy on Judgment day. The article also describes horsemen relief images on two stelas of the early XVIII c., as well as a false horseman, carved on the tombstone of the late XVI c. Compositional decision of the relief is such that the weapons and armor are located above the horse, creating an effect of the rider’s presence, although the rider himself is not there. If the image weren’t stained, it would be impossible to reveal that it is not a horseman. The effect of presence is achieved by different artistic techniques. Among them is the image of a moving horse.
The introduction of stated elements of tombstone decoration into scientific circulation contributes to dating of monuments with identical decor, and revealing interregional connections in stone carving craft.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Mahac Abdulaevic Musaev, The Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Daghestan Scientific Centre of RAS
    PhD. (History), Director of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography
  • Samil' Sihalievic Sihaliev, The Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Daghestan Scientific Centre of RAS
    PhD. (History), Leading Researcher
  • Magomed Gadzievic Sehmagomedov, The Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Daghestan Scientific Centre of RAS
    Researcher

References

Magomedov M.G., Shikhsaidov A.R. Qala-Quraysh (The Fortress of Qurayshites) [Kalakoreysh (Krepost’ kureyshitov)]. Makhachkala: Uypiter, 2000. (In Russ.).

Kilchevskaya E.V. Decorative art of Kubachi aul [Dekorativnoye iskusstvo aula Kubachi]. M., 1962.(In Russ.).

Kilchevskaya E.V. From fine arts to ornament [Ot izobrazitel’nosti k ornamentu]. M.: Nauka, 1968. (In Russ.).

Mammaev M.M. The art of Zirikhgeran-Kubachi of the XIII–XV c. and its place in the system of artistic cultures of the East and the West [Iskusstvo Zirikhgerana-Kubachi XIII–XV vv. i yego mesto v sisteme khudozhestvennykh kul’tur Vostoka i Zapada]. Makhachkala: Epokha, 2014. (In Russ.).

Epigraphic monuments of the North Caucasus in the Arabic, Persian and Turkish languages. Part 1. Inscriptions of the X – XVII centuries [Epigraficheskiye pamyatniki Severnogo Kavkaza na arabskom, persidskom i turetskom yazykakh. Chast’ 1. Nadpisi X–XVII vv.]. / Texts, translations, comments, introduction and appendix by L.I. Lavrov. M., 1966: 153. (In Russ.).

Neymat M.S. Corpus of epigraphic monuments of Azerbaijan. Vol. I: the Arab-Persian-Turkic inscriptions of Baku and Absheron of the XI - the beginning of the XX century [Korpus epigraficheskikh pamyatnikov Azerbaydzhana. T. I: arabo-perso-tyurkoyazychnyye nadpisi Baku i Apsherona XI – nachala XX veka]. Baku: Elm, 1991.(In Russ.).

Neymat M.S. Corpus of epigraphic monuments of Azerbaijan. Vol. II: Arabian-Persian-Turkic inscriptions of the Sheki-Zakatala area (XIV - early XX century) [Korpus epigraficheskikh pamyatnikov Azerbaydzhana. T. II: arabo-perso-tyurkoyazychnyye nadpisi Sheki-Zakatal’skoy zony (XIV – nachalo XX veka)]. Baku, 2001.(In Russ.).

Downloads

Published

2019-06-25

Issue

Section

Expedition

How to Cite

1.
Musaev MA, Sihaliev SS, Sehmagomedov MG. EPIGRAPHIC DISKS AND HORSEMEN RELIEFS ON THE STELAS FROM THE FAMILY CEMETERY OF KAITAG RULERS. ИАЭК. 2019;15(2):259-281. doi:10.32653/CH152259-281