ABSTRACT

Gravestones, which are important material cultural assets of cultural heritage, also represent the identity of a nation. Gevaş Seljuk Cemetery is an important component of the cultural heritage of the Turkish-Islamic period of Anatolia. The rich ornamentation program on the gravestones in the Gevaş Seljuk Cemetery attracts considerable attention. The decorations on sample gravestones dating back to the early period of Turkish Islamic art were evaluated from many perspectives in this study. The rich variety of decorative elements on the gravestones are the most important distinguishing feature that distinguishes the cemetery from other cemeteries. In addition to unique geometric and vegetal ornaments, there are also hobnail, rosette, rosette, passion flower, oil lamp and candlestick motifs. In addition, the phoenix and salbek motifs were also found on the gravestones. The decorative elements integrated with the historical texture on the tombstones have become an important source for Anatolian Turkish Islamic decorative art. The decoration on tombstones, in addition to being a cultural identity dating back centuries, reflects the society's values and the point that handicraft skills have reached. Tombstones are documents that provide our sense of belonging to Anatolia, as well as being a historical and cultural identity dating back centuries. In this context, in our study, five (5) ornamented gravestones located in the Gevaş Seljuk Cemetery were evaluated with all their features. Apart from the decorative elements used, sample tombstones were also examined in terms of typological features, material, technique and writing.