An Arabic Construction Inscription of 1418 from the Tsakhur Village of Jinykh

Abstract

The article examines the content of the Arabic inscription discovered by the author in the mountainous Tsakhur village of Jinykh in Dagestan. The inscription was made on the occasion of the mosque reconstruction, it contains the name of the organizer of the repair works and is dated 821 AH, which corresponds to 1418. It has been established that the initial construction of the mosque in Jinykh took place much earlier, which is confirmed by the discovery of an Arabic Kufic inscription of the 12th–13th centuries within the wall of the mosque. The technique of the 1418 inscription, which was made in the calligraphic Naskh handwriting, greatly differs from the vast majority of other medieval inscriptions in the region. The description and translation of the text are accompanied by linguistic comments.