Self-taught Turkish ‘linguist’ keeps dead language alive

Mehmet Kusman, an 86-year-old self-taught linguist from Turkey, has dedicated his life to preserving the ancient Urartian language and the history of the kingdom of Urartu. Despite having a limited formal education, Kusman learned to read and write the Urartian script over a period of 22 years, thanks to his relentless determination and fascination with the civilization.

He first encountered the Urartian language while working as a labourer on excavations at Cavustepe fortress near Van, eastern Turkey. Kusman has since shared his knowledge with thousands of visitors, lecturing in America, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and now even considers visiting Japan. However, academic experts caution that it is difficult to determine the pronunciation of the Urartian language, as there are only inscriptions to go by and no texts to study.

Despite this, Kusman remains undeterred in his efforts to share the rich history of the Urartians and their culture.