Women's tombs in Kayseri.

Abstract

Kayseri is a city, which had the privilege to retain a capital city status in its past history alongside with Konya, and is also an important center for the funerary architecture of the Seljuk period. This city remained the capital city during the rule of the State of Eretna after the Seljuk period, houses a considerable number of tomb structures some of which are constructed for women. Although these structures do not differ from other tombs in terms of design, they seem to have been more decorated as compared to the identical ones constructed for men. It has been observed that these tombs are not merely examples of funerary architectures, but as in the case of some examples, they have also turned out to be a symbol of the sultanate from the aspect of their inscriptions, decorations and locations.

Keywords: Woman, tombs, Turkish, art, architecture, Kayseri, ornamentation.

Introduction

The patrons who built some of the large scale monuments constructed between the 13th-14th centuries, especially in the first half of the 13th century, were women which indicates contrary to the expectations, that during these centuries some women in the Anatolian-Turkish society had a place, as strong and esteemed as men's. The building activities have all been significant indicators from the point of view of the share of women's patronage for the building activities of Kayseri during the Medieval Ages. Several examples can be cited. For example the restoration of The Kuluk Mosque, one of the significant structures in Kayseri by Atsiz Elti Hatun. Also the building of the Cifte Medrese upon the will of Sultan Gevher Nesibe and the attempt to continue and complete the construction of the complex of buildings that was initiated by Alaeddin Keykubat by his wife Mahperi (Hunat) Hatun and the patronage of Sivasi Hatun for the construction of the Develi Great Mosque as well as the building of Barsama Mosque by Mahupeyker Hatice Hatun are such activities.

Therefore, this article will introduce eight examples of funerary monuments which are known to have been the most common types of buildings to have been supported by women in pre-Ottoman Anatolian Turkish architecture, (1) as well as one Ottoman example, existing in Kayseri today. Although one of the tomb stones is claimed to belong to Gurcu Melek Hatun, (2) there are no existing monuments attributed to this woman.

1. The Tomb of Sultan Gevher Nesibe