6 new graves unearthed at Van's Seljuk Cemetery
The excavation and restoration work, which began in 2022 with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, continues in an area that is home to one of the largest Turkish-Islamic cemeteries in Türkiye, including the Halime Hatun Kümbeti, which was built 700 years ago.
- Turkey
- Published Date: 12:32 | 02 August 2025
- Modified Date: 12:35 | 02 August 2025
This year, the project was included in the "Heritage for the Future" program under the auspices of the Presidency. The excavations are being carried out under the presidency of the Van Museum, with Associate Professor Ercan Çalış, a faculty member of the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ) Art History Department, serving as scientific advisor. A team of 15 experts is currently working on the site.
This year, the inscriptions on the 6 newly discovered graves are being analyzed by academics. The graves are located in a 50-decare area that contains nearly 1,000 tombstones, some reaching 2.5 meters in height and attracting interest with their inscriptions and traditional motifs.
Associate Professor Ercan Çalış told reporters that important findings were obtained during the excavations and that they identified nearly 1,000 tombstones in the area. "Our inclusion in the 'Heritage for the Future' project this year has increased our work capacity even further. The work is continuing intensively. This year, 50 tombstones have been intervened on. We completed the ground blocking for 40 of them and lichen cleaning for 10. We unearthed 6 tombstones that were completely buried and did not have a plot number, bringing them to light after about 700-750 years."
"Our work on the tombstones is ongoing. Within the scope of the excavation and restoration work we started in 2022, so far, the ground blocking of 180 tombstones has been done, and 85 stones have been cleaned of lichen. 15 broken tombstones have been reassembled, and we have unearthed 25 tombstones that were buried underground."