Öz
Menderes has a very old historical background. Throughout history, it has served as a pre-war
meeting place for many armies. Cem means gathering in Arabic. For this reason, it was called "Cem
Ovası". It was named "Cuma Ovası" in 1922, when Izmir was liberated from occupation. Later, its
name was changed to Menderes in 1988. Today it is known by this name. There are many historical
monuments in the district center. Mosque ruins are usually noticeable. Among these are Kasımpaşa
Mosque in ruins, Cüneyt Bey Mosque and Samancıoğlu Mosque, whose gravestones are discussed in
this study. The most well-kept is Samancıoğlu Mosque. Mosques are an important part of Anatolian
social life. Prayers performed together are of great importance. The graveyards of the mosque are also
of particular importance in that they are the places where important people in the region are buried.
Gravestones, which are documents of history, are also important in terms of social memory. However,
many gravestones today succumb to human and natural factors. Some of these are historical Ottoman
gravestones in the graveyard of Samancıoğlu Mosque. In this study, a total of 39 gravestones in the
process of change were examined. The type, size, writing type, ornamentation features of the graves
were recorded together with their current photographs, and the gender of the deceased was specified. It
is thought that recording these gravestones in the process of change in their current form will
contribute to both local history and social memory and social history research.