This writing has been found on a marble block in the stables of the "Elçi Han" (Lodging of the Deputies) in Constantinople (Istanbul) in year 1644 by the member of the Hungarian deputy, János Derschwamm (with other members Antal Verancsics bishop from Eger and Ferenc Zay fleet commander). He made an accurate note of this three-lined writing in his diary. The text dates from year 1515. Wilhelm Thomsen and Sebestyén Gyula solved the reading.

The first five lines of the diary are written in Latin, the following three lines are the copy of the original text. The last three lines are the reading in modern Hungarian (note the abbreviated writing marked by the hyphens). The English translation approximately says: "They wrote this in year Thousand Five Hundred Fifteen. They sent here five members of the deputy of king Laszló. Barlabás Bilaji waited here two years for Nemtön pasha. Tamás Keteji Székel wrote this. Selimbey pasha put here inside with hundred horses."

Conclusions

There is an inconsistency in the style of writing, in spelling of the same words, in the contracting letters (ligatures) and in the grammar: this reveals that at least two or three persons wrote this text. For sure they are Bilaji Barlabás and Keteji Székel Tamás (he even speaks Transylvanian dialect: IRTANeSZT "I wrote this"). It seems probable that every line belongs to one person. That means maybe few years passed before completion of the text.

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Post Scriptum: Can someone read the Latin part? Please E-Mail me to include it into this page.  

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