Inscriptions discovered in Caspian Sea might be spells

The Public Relations Office of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) quoted Morteza Rezvanfar, a faculty member of the RICHT, as saying on Tuesday that 699 Persian and Arabic inscriptions discovered at the bottom of the Caspian Sea, 300 meters off the shore of Baku alongside a castle and island that submerged into the water over 700 years ago (1306 AD) due to an earthquake and the aftermath tsunami.

Referring to the keeping of the inscriptions in the Shirvanshahs Palace in Baku, he said the inscriptions contain Persian and Arabic words and so far no meaningful phrase have been read by putting the inscriptions together in different layouts.

According to Rezvanfar, names such as Fariborz, Garshasb, Farrokhzad, Fereydoun, Manouchehr, Yazid, Ahmad, Mohammad and Sheibani have been seen in the inscriptions, which appear to be the names of the local rulers.

Pointing to the placement of the inscriptions under water for a period of seven centuries and their discovery in the course of 30 years of archeological explorations, the faculty member of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism said that the size of the inscriptions is maximum 70 to 50 cm and human and animal images as well as images of the demon and elfs (their earthly and celestial images) have been portrayed on some of them.

He further remarked that with regard to the use of illusive lines and sentences and lack of precision in the composition and principles of calligraphy as well as images of the demon and elfs the inscriptions have been possibly used as a talisman for warding off the disaster and adversaries and have perhaps been deliberately submerged into the water near a defensive castle.

He said in the past spells were used to protect castles as they believed that the castles could not be conquered and would also install a spell on the entrance way of the private homes or the treasuries.

According to him, in fact people at that time believed that accumulation of active and passive forces, namely the heavenly and terrestrial forces by experts, would lead to the application of powers of the universe in the worldly affairs.

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