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by Jona Lendering Photos by: Marco Prins and Jona Lendering
When the Persian King of Kings Darius I the Great (522-486) ordered the Behistun inscription to be made, he also ordered the making of a special, Persian alphabet, which he called 'the Aryan script' after the name of official language, also known as Old-Persian.
It consists of thirty-six signs indicating syllables and eight ideograms for the words 'king', 'country' (2x) 'good', 'god', 'earth', and 'Ahuramazda' (3x). A slanting wedge (\) is used as a word divider.
This alphabet was mainly used for royal inscriptions; the last text in the 'Aryan script' can be dated to the fourth century BCE.
Inscription on the doorposts of the inner room of the Palace of Darius I the Great in Persepolis, above figures of the king and attendants.
da-a-ra-ya-va-u-ša \ xa-ša-a-ya-tha-i-ya
\ Dârayavauš xšâyathiya Darius, the king Darius, the great king, king of kings, king of countries, Hystaspes' son, an Achaemenid, built this palace.
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