The inscription of Çem Castle awaits decipherment

The inscription on the wall of Çem Castle in the Sumbas district of Osmaniye in southern Türkiye is waiting to be solved.

To date, the language and alphabet in which the inscription was written has not yet been deciphered.

Çem Castle was used as an important defense center especially in the Middle Ages. During the Ottoman period, it was called “Vannos Castle”.

The three different inscriptions on the walls of the castle, which have not yet been deciphered, continue to be a matter of great curiosity for historians and linguists.

The studies conducted so far have not been able to decipher which civilization and nation used the alphabet and what is written in the inscription.

Stating that the written texts in Çem Castle are among the rare inscriptions that have not been solved in the world, Researcher Historian-Author Yurdaer Yanık said, “If the mysterious alphabet that has not yet been solved in the world is solved, the history of Çukurova will be rewritten.”

Yanık said, “Çem Castle is a very sheltered medieval castle built on the trade route in the region. It was known as Vannos Castle during the Ottoman period. There are 3 separate inscriptions used as spolia stones on the castle walls, the mystery of which has not been solved so far. We do not know what is in the texts, which are not clear in which language they are written. I invite scientists and academicians here. Some of the letters in the text resemble the letters in the alphabet used by the Scythian Turks, but it is not the Scythian alphabet. Some letters are similar to the Göktürk alphabet. If the written text here is deciphered, the history of Çukurova will be rewritten.”

Cover Photo: Researcher Historian-Author Yurdaer Yanık/IHA