Namara inscription

Namara inscription
MaterialBasalt
WritingNabataean script
Created7 December 328 (328-12-07)
Discovered4 April 1901 (1901-04-04)
Namara, Syria
Discovered byRené Dussaud and Frédéric Macler
Present locationLouvre Museum, Paris, France
LanguageOld Arabic (Nabataean dialect)

The Namara inscription (Arabic: نقش النمارة naqš an-Namārah) is a 4th century inscription in the Arabic language, making it one of the earliest. It has also been interpreted as a late version of the Nabataean script in its transition to Arabic script. It has been described by Irfan Shahid as "the most important Arabic inscription of pre-Islamic times"[1] and by Kees Versteegh as "the most famous Arabic inscription".[2] It is also an important source for the relationships between the Romans and the Arabs in that period. It is currently on display at the Louvre Museum in France, with identification number AO 4083.[3]

  1. ^ Irfan Shahîd, Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fourth Century, (Dumbarton Oaks, 2006), 31.
  2. ^ Kees Versteegh and C. H. M. Versteegh, The Arabic Language, (Columbia University Press, 1997), 31.
  3. ^ "Linteau d'Imru' al-Qays". Musée du Louvre. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.

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