This is the ‘Alemşah Kümbeti’ (or Türbesi), a grave monument in Seljuk style from 1327/28. It was built by Baltaoğlu Melih Şah Bey, for his brother Sultan Şah who had been murdered. At that moment, politically the region was under the control of the Ilhanlı (Persian Mongols), who had strengthen their hold on the former Seljuk provinces in those last decades of their state (which collapsed in 1335). The tomb is situated in the back of the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque).

Many Seljuk (and later Seljuk-style) mausolea are a stone evocation of the pre-islamic funeral hills of the nomads of Central Asia. During their lives, prominent clan members had their funeral hill (‘kurgan’) prepared; when death came, a circular tent was erected on top of the kurgan, and the deceased’s body was laid out, in order to be greeted a last time by the clan members. After this greeting period, the body was placed in the burial chamber inside the kurgan.
A ‘tent-style’ Seljuk Türbe has two parts: a circular or polygonal room with a pyramidal or cone roof, where a cenotaph sarcophagus can be visited and honoured; this is the part referring to the funeral tent. Beneath this ornamented construction the real burial chamber (‘cenazelik’ or ‘mumyalık’) is to be found, where the deceased’s remains were buried; this is the part referring to the burial hill.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.