Language > Kharg Island Achaemenid Inscription
Kharg Island Achaemenid Inscription
Background
The Achaemenid inscription in the Kharg Island is an important inscription from the Achaemenid Empire that was discovered in 2007 while constructing a road. It is located on Kharg Island. This inscription is written in Old Persian language with Old Persian cuneiform alphabet. The height and the width of this inscription is around 1 meter. The inscription was etched some 2400 years ago. The inscription contains 5 lines and 6 Old Persian words, 5 of them unknown at the time it was discovered. It reads as:
"[This] land was wilderness and without water [and] I brought happiness and welfare to it."
Some Arab states of the Persian gulf have unsuccessfully tried to show that the inscription is forged.[2] In 2008, the inscription was severely vandalized by some anonymous men and now 70 percent of the text is destroyed and only one line is survived. Kharg island is an important island belonging to Iran and a license is needed for travel to the island. The Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran said that "This inscription is an evidence to the name of Persian gulf".
