First inscription that reads ‘Turk’ found in Mongolia

The very first inscription that reads "Turk," belonging to Ilterish Qaghan, the founder of the Second Turkic Khaganate, has been found in Mongolia, with the Foreign Ministry considering the discovery "an important milestone in Turkish history."

According to scientists, who started surface explorations in 2016, the region was where Ilterish Qaghan used to gather all the Turkish tribes. After the discovery of stones on which the stamps of these tribes were engraved, many statues and figures of Turkic princes were uncovered.

In the works that were interrupted due to the pandemic and restarted in July 2022, a giant complex was discovered during the excavation in a cairn of approximately 250 square meters.

The inscription in a monument complex found during a joint scientific archaeological expedition by the International Turkic Academy and the Mongolian Archaeological Institute in the Nomgon Valley is written in Turkic and Sogdian languages.

Scientists participating in the expedition identified words from the text of the monument, such as "Turk", "tanrı" (god), "kutluk" (khaganate), and "tumen" (division).

"This inscription is of great importance as it takes our written history back further," said Darhan Kıdıralı, the head of International Turkic Academy.

"The oldest written monument where the name 'Turkish' is mentioned for the first time was discovered by Turkish scientists," Kıdıralı said, adding that this is a valuable discovery that will shed light on the history of many countries.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry made a statement regarding the discovery, saying, "The discovery of the monument complex, which is considered to belong to Ilterish Qaghan, the founder of the Second Turkic Khaganate, created excitement and...