Tangible cultural heritage examples from Konya Hacı Fettah Cemetery: a study on the writing and form features of gravestones

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 3, 195 - 210, 30.09.2025

Hatice Ünlerşen

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16948042

Abstract

Gravestones are extremely important, both artistically and as historical documents. Tombstone culture has persisted in Turkish-Islamic art from the Karakhanids to the Ottomans. Gravestones, which have a three-dimensional feature, are not only a personal structure but also have a social place. Information or an ornamental element on a tombstone sheds light on the art, socio-cultural situation, history, economy, and important events of the period. Each tombstone of such importance is put under scrutiny, with none of it being overlooked. Since Hacı Fettah Cemetery is vast, areas that have not been studied sufficiently were included in the scope of the research. Historical gravestones on islands 101, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 116 in the cemetery were examined. The examined gravestones are 3 on the 101st island, 4 on the 102nd island, 5 on the 104th island, 1 on the 106th island, 3 on the 108th island, 1 on the 110th island, and 2 on the 116th island. The study adopts an on-site observational approach supported by photographic documentation and physical measurement. The analysis is structured under the headings of Artifact Review, Evaluation, and Conclusion, following a chronological and thematic classification. A total of 19 tombstones on these islands were photographed. The width, length, and thickness measurements of the gravestones were taken. The inscription texts of the stones were written and recorded in both Ottoman Turkish and modern Turkish. The content of the inscriptions was analyzed. The names of dynasties, titles, hometowns, professions, and details of death in the inscription texts on the tombstone have been identified. These dynasty names extracted from the inscriptions are significant in terms of shedding light on past periods and providing information to subsequent generations. The gravestones were evaluated in terms of material, technique, form, and decoration. All the gravestones examined are headstones, with no footstones found in situ.

Keywords

Gravestone , Cultural heritage , Epigraphy , Konya Hacı Fettah Cemetery , Turkish-Islamic Art

Ethical Statement

All processes of the research were carried out within the framework of ethical principles, and there were no ethical violations such as plagiarism, forgery, distortion, re-publication, or slicing in the study. This study is not subject to ethics committee approval because it does not involve human or animal subjects and only documents and analyzes movable cultural assets.

Supporting Institution

The author declared that this study has received no financial support.

Tangible cultural heritage examples from Konya Hacı Fettah Cemetery: a study on the writing and form features of gravestones

Abstract

Gravestones are extremely important, both artistically and as historical documents. Tombstone culture has persisted in Turkish-Islamic art from the Karakhanids to the Ottomans. Gravestones, which have a three-dimensional feature, are not only a personal structure but also have a social place. Information or an ornamental element on a tombstone sheds light on the art, socio-cultural situation, history, economy, and important events of the period, like a projector. Each tombstone of such importance is put under scrutiny, with none of it being overlooked. Since Hacı Fettah Cemetery is vast, areas that have not been studied sufficiently were included in the scope of the research. Historical gravestones on islands 101, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, and 116 in the cemetery were examined. The examined gravestones are 3 on the 101st island, 4 on the 102nd island, 5 on the 104th island, 1 on the 106th island, 3 on the 108th island, 1 on the 110th island, and 2 on the 116th island. A total of 19 tombstones on these islands were photographed. The width, length, and thickness measurements of the gravestones were taken. The inscription texts of the stones were written and recorded in both Ottoman Turkish and modern Turkish. The content of the inscriptions was analyzed. The names of dynasties, titles, hometowns, professions, and details of death in the inscription texts on the tombstone have been identified. These dynasty names extracted from the inscriptions are significant in terms of shedding light on past periods and providing information to subsequent generations. The gravestones were evaluated in terms of material, technique, form, and decoration. All the gravestones examined are headstones, with no footstones found in situ.

Keywords

Cultural Heritage , Gravestone , Epigraphy , Turkish-Islamic Art , Konya Hacı Fettah Cemetery

Ethical Statement

All processes of the research were carried out within the framework of ethical principles, and there were no ethical violations such as plagiarism, forgery, distortion, re-publication, or slicing in the study. This study is not subject to ethics committee approval because it does not involve human or animal subjects and only documents and analyzes movable cultural assets.

Supporting Institution

The author declared that this study has received no financial support.

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