Arabic inscriptions from the Ur-Maral region (Talas Province) in Kyrgyzstan

In the Ur-Maral region in the south of the province of Talas in Kyrgyzstan, 17 Arabic inscriptions were inventoried and documented at six different locations. However, 11 of these inscriptions were found at only two different sites (in Chiim-Tash and Zhaltyrak-Tash). While 13 of the inscriptions were deeply pecked into the rock and are clearly visible, the other four were faintly engraved and very small. These inscriptions, which are mainly names of men (three of whom are referred to as mullahs), are located between 2,700 and 3,700 metres above sea level. In two or three cases, the written names were those of deceased people, and the inscriptions were epitaphs, as evidenced by the use of the words “yadqar qïldï” (“memorized and remembered”). The others were most probably inscribed by shepherds during the summer pasturing season or after crossing a pass. Only one inscription has a religious character, referring to pilgrims (“hajlary”), whereas the others are simply the shepherds’ names, sometimes including their fathers’ names. In these cases, the text is usually written in the Middle Turkic literary language as evidenced by the use of the word “oglu” (“son”). One inscription was dated to the 18th century or early 19th century based on the specific features of the lettering. The others were written in the late 19th or early 20th century, as evidenced by the presence of three dates, two following the Hijra calendar (in 1900 and 1909) and one following the Gregorian calendar (1919), which is the most recent. Four inscriptions were associated with a tamga. The presence of 17 Arabic inscriptions at high altitude, most likely created by shepherds, sheds new light on the literacy of the Kyrgyz population during the 19th century, before the Sovietization of the country. Arabographic inscriptions found in rock art contexts should be systematically documented, analyzed and published to provide further information about the history of nomadic populations in Central Asia.