Inscription of the Milestone Discovered in Seid-Abadi Dated to the 1 st century of Hegira 38

The objective of the present article is to study the inscription of the milestone of the 1 st century of Hegira, discovered in Seid-abadi. Our research is based on the materials available in the archives of Prof. Tsisia Kakhiani and analysis of other milestones found in the Near East. It is noteworthy that this monument is one of the most ancient of the Arabic inscriptions of Georgia. The archives of Prof. Tsisia Kakhiani contain several notes regarding the milestone.


Introduction
The objective of the project financed by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia -Arabic Epigraphic Monuments of Tbilisi ) is to study, on the basis of the archival materials of Prof. Ts.Kakhiani, the Arabic epigraphic monuments of Tbilisi and, at the same time, to research into the newly discovered inscriptions.
The task of the present article is to study the inscription of the milestone of the 1 st century of Hegira, found in Seid-abadi.

Methods
Our research is based on the materials available in the archives of Prof. Tsisia Kakhiani and analysis of other milestones found in the Near East.The method of content analysis and comparative analysis is used in the research.Paleographic analysis of the inscription is carried out and they are compared with similar inscriptions of the same period.In addition, proceeding from the historical context, the significance of the inscription is analyzed for the history of the South Caucasus region as well as for the history of Tbilisi proper.

Results
The archives of Prof. Tsisia Kakhiani contain several notes regarding the milestone.In small folder #2 there is a photo of the milestone inscription (see annex #1) and one page, written in pencil, draft version (see annex # 2).
Prof. Ts.Kakhiani writes: "Milestone from Tbilisi.Three lines with six words, without a date.699 Found by accident by Kiknadze in the ancient district of Tbilisi -Seidabadi.31X45 cm.Kufic script, linear, angular, without diacritical marks." ‫ﺗﻔﻠﻴﺲ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﺍﻣﻴﺎﻝ‬ ‫ﺛﻼﺛﺔ‬ ‫ﷲ‬ ‫ﺑﺴﻢ‬ Contents: Basmala, indication of the distance from a settlement.The text, as compared with milestones, is laconic.86/705 (?).It begins with basmala, includes two words without Allah's epithets.The distance is indicated from the starting point ‫ﺗﻔﻠﻴﺲ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ -Arabic name of Tbilisi.‫ﺍﻟﻤﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﻫﺎﺫﺍ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻲ‬ is not indicated to the point of destination, which is to the name of 'Abd al-Malik ‫ﺍ‬ ‫ﻫﺎﺫﺍ‬ ‫ﻟﻲ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻤﻴﻞ‬ -to this mile.Three miles from Tbilisi, which is equal to six kilometers".In the second note we read: "Milestone (size 31X45) is currently preserved at Acad. S. Janashia Tbilisi State Museum.The inscription was studied by V. Krachkovskaya, who dates it to the 80-100s of the first century of Hegira (699-719 AD), regards it to belong to the reign of 'Abd al-Malik and considers the handwriting as Kufic.In the opinion of I. Krachkovsky, this monument is a material proof of the Arab rule in Georgia at the end of the 7 th century and beginning of the 8 th century".
In the unpublished work dated to 1984 on Arabic inscriptions of Georgia, Prof. Ts.Kakhiani considers the milestone more extensively: "Three-line relief inscription, carved deeply, letters are of medium size, angular, carved on a milestone (size 31X45), which is damaged, it was found in Old Tbilisi, Seidabadi.
In the first line, four short perpendicular lines have survived, which are resting on a horizontal line.The letters ‫,ﻥ‬ ‫,ﺕ‬ ‫ﺏ‬ and ‫,ﺵ‬ ‫ﺱ‬ may have been written here.The following letters are not discernible.Even their trace has disappeared according to which it might have been possible to reconstruct the letters.Only ‫ﺍ‬ and ‫ﻝ‬ can be read.The second and the third lines were deciphered by G. Tsereteli.
‫ﺗﻔﻠﻴﺲ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﺍﻣﻴﺎﻝ‬ ‫ﺛﻼﺙ‬ "Three miles from Tbilisi" On the basis of paleographic evidence, G. Tsereteli dates it to the end of the 1 st c. of Hegira, i.e. the 8 th c.AD." Acad.G. Tsereteli writes about the milestone: "In Tbilisi there exist locally created Arabic monuments belonging to the first centuries of Hegira.For example, the inscription of the 1 st c. of Hegira, on the milestone which is dated to the end of the 1 st c. of Hegira, discovered in Old Tbilisi, Seidabadi ‫ﺛ‬ ‫ﻼ‬ ‫ﺍﻣﻴﺎﻝ‬ ‫ﺛﺔ‬ ‫ﺗﻔﻠﻴﺲ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ -"Three miles … from Tbilisi" (Tsereteli, 1947: 46).
V.Krachkovskaya writes regarding the milestone found in Tbilisi: "The small stone slab with an Arabic inscription, found by accident in Tbilisi, is noteworty according to the character of the script as well as the contents.The slab is not large -31X45cm.Its surface is uneven, edges -unequal.The short inscription consists of six words arranged on three lines, two words on each.In the inscription an important place is occupied by horizontal, greatly stretched ligatures.The handwriting of the inscription is strictly Kufic, linear and angular, without diacritical marks (punctuation).The inscription consists of two parts: short opening formula "basmala" on the first line and indication of distance in miles from a certain point -on the second and the third lines.

Discussion
Inscriptions on milestones have been studied by many scholars.Prof. Abdullah bin Husayn Alkadi devoted 20 years to fieldworks, research and analysis of milestones of the early Muslim period.He especially focused attention on the Hijrah Route, migration of Prophet Muhammad and his early followers from Mecca to the North (about 450 km), in the direction of Medina.Prof. Alkadi knew that the historical sources contained information about milestones which helped pilgrims on this route, but apart from the approaches to the holy cities, along the route, no such stones have yet been brought to light and the sources provide little information regarding this road.
So far Prof. Alkadi located 63 milestones on a 430-kilometer stretch of the road.The distance between the mentioned stones according to the present-day measure of mile, which is 1609 meters, differs only in a few meters.He assumes the presence of another 133 milestones on this road.
Marking of paths and roads by means of stones was also used along other desert caravan routes in the Arabian Peninsula.Most of them were not monoliths, but conical piles of stones.The effort involved in extracting, transporting and erecting this basalt stone clearly indicated the importance of the task (Tawakel, A. 2021).
Fourteen milestones are available to us for comparison with the milestone discovered in Tbilisi.
#1.The milestone was found in the village of Fīq in Golan.Location: Qazrin Museum, Golan.Basalt slab, chiselled and cut on all sides to create a square building stone.Length -28.5 cm; width -28.5 cm; depth -24.5 cm; average height of letters -2.5 cm.The first line and the beginning of the second line are not discernible on the stone, the left half of the stone is completely broken off.The inscription is composed of six lines, written in Kufic script and dated to 85/704.The inscription was reconstructed and studied by A.Elad (Elad, 1999: 33-35 #2.The milestone was found in the village of Fīq in Golan.Location: Qazrin Museum, Golan.Size of the basalt slab: length -80.5 cm; width -39.5 cm; depth -23 cm; average height of letters -3 cm.The upper right corner of the stone and left side about ¼ is broken.The inscription is composed of five lines, written in Kufic script and dated to 85/704.The inscription was reconstructed and studied by A. Elad (Elad, 1999: 36-37).
‫ﺍﻟﺮ‬ In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
There is no god but God alone.He has no companion.Muh ammad is the Messenger of G od, may God bless him and give him peace.
Has ordered the repair of this road and the manufacture of the milestones, the Ser vant of God ʿAbd al-Malik, Commander of the faithful, God's mercy be upon him.
From Iliya [i.e., Jerusalem] to this milestone there are 5 miles.
Prof. Paghava offers the following hypothetical reconstruction of the text of the inscription (Paghava, 2022: 102-103): .. [of this road and the manufacture of the milestones, the Servant of God ʿAbd al-Malik, Commander of the faithful, God's mercy (be) upon him From [Iliya] to this milestone there are 5 miles #4.This milestone was found near the church of Abū Ghōsh.Location: Not known.Size of the stone slab: length -40 cm; width -30 cm; depth -9 cm.
The two or four lines at the top of the inscription are missing, the upper right corner and the left part are broken.A plant ornament is depicted on the final line.The inscription is composed of six lines, written in Kufic script, undated.It was studied and dated to 65-86/685-705 by M.V. Berchem (Berchem, 1922: 19-20).

‫ﺍﻟﻤﻬﺪﻯ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻤﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﺳﻨﺔ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻘﻌﺪﺓ‬ ‫ﺫﻱ‬ ‫ﻓﻲ‬ ‫ﻋﺜﻤﺎﻥ‬ ‫]ﺑ[ﻥ‬ ‫ﻣ‬ ‫ﻣﺎﺋﺔ‬ ‫ﻭ‬ ‫ﺛﻼﺛﻴﻦ‬ ‫ﻭ‬ ‫ﺧﻤﺲ‬ ‫ﻦ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻤﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﻫﺬﺍ‬ ‫ﺍﻟﻲ‬ ‫ﺍﺫﺭﻋﺎﺕ‬
The translation of the inscription is: In the names of God, the merciful There is but one God, who has no partner Muhammad is God's Messenger This milestone was ordered by al-Mahdi Bin ‛Uthman in (thi al-Qi‛da) in the year One hundred and thirty-five Adha‛at to this milestone.
#9.The milestone was found in Saudi Arabia.Location: Not known.The inscription is composed of eight lines, of the Abbasid period, it is undated (A.Muslim, 2021).
‫ﺍ‬ The inscription is undated, composed of two lines (R. Mortel).
‫ﺳﺒﻌﺔ‬ ‫ﺍﻣﺒﺎﻝ‬ The translation of the inscription is: Seven miles.

Conclusions
As is known, erection of milestones and construction of roads were related to organized planning of the postal service, which served the interests of the Caliphate rule.
At the end of the 7 th century, Muawiya, the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, organized postal courier service using the half-day system.The postal half-marhalah 39 was called al-barid, and this word is still used at present to refer to postal services in general."Post stations" were set up every 19 kilometers.A courier delivered information to the next station and returned to his station on the same day-a round-trip, a day's ride with one marhalah.This was the distance which allowed a rider on camelback to deliver a message from one station to another and return on the same day. 39Among the caravan routes an important unit of measurement of distance was the marhalah, equivalent to 24 miles.The 13 th -century Arabic lexicographer Ibn Manzur explains that the word marhalah is related to rahilah, which refers to a pack animal and indicates when cargoes are set down for rest.It was possible for caravans to cover a marhalah conveniently before camping for the night.Marhala also acquired religious significance and "was used to determine the exact minimum distance the faithful could travel on a journey in order to be able to shorten or combine prayer.The distance would also make travelers eligible for other dispensations, including [exemption from] fasting in Ramadan."To earn such dispensations, travelers were required to be on a journey covering at least two marhalah in the same direction.Using the marhalah distance, the route from Medina to Mecca was divided into 11 days of journey, whereas the last day was six miles shorter (A. Tawakel, 2021).
According to V. Krachkovskaya, on the basis of the handwriting and content of the milestone found in Tbilisi, it can be dated to 100/718-719, maybe, to the 80s, and this inscription is undoubtedly one of the oldest in the South Caucasus that has reached us.
On the milestone from Tbilisi the date, the name of the Caliph and the supervisor of the works are not indicated.However, we can assume that the postal system created by the central administration of the Arab Caliphate functioned properly in the South Caucasus already at the early stage of the Arab rule, and one of the central arterial roads passed through Tbilisi.Historical sources confirm that from conclusion of the so-called datsvis sigeli ("charter of security") by Habib ibn Maslamah until the campaigns of Murvan Qru ("Marwan the Deaf") Tbilisi population fulfilled the agreement with the Caliphate administration centre and presumably was actively involved in the trade and economic life of the Caliphate.
).The translation of the inscription is: [In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate] [There is no god but God alone] no partner h [as He, Muh ammad is the messenge] r of God.Has ordered the manufacture of th [ese milestones the servant of] God ʿAbd al-Malik, the Commander of the Fa [ithful; (this was carried out) by] Musāwir, the mawlā of the Commander of the [Faithful, in the month.... ...] In the year five and eig [hty; from Damascus to] this (mile) two and fifty m[iles].
There is no god but God alone no partner has He, Muh [ammad is the messenger of] God.Has ordered the manufacture of th [ese milestones the servant of God [ʿAbd a] l-Malik, the Commander of the Faithful; (this was carried out) by Musāwir, the mawlā of the Commande [r of the Faithful] in (the month of) Shaʿbān in the year five and eighty; From Damascus to this (mile) three [and fifty miles].#3.This milestone was found in the woods next to Aqua Bella-ʿAyn Hemed on the road between Jerusalem and coast.Location: The Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem Size of the marble slab: length -27 cm; width -17 cm; depth-9.5 cm.Only the lower left corner of the slab has survived, three lines with four words and two geometrical semicircles.The inscription is composed of three lines, written in Kufic script, undated.