Folklor Akademi Dergisi

Abstract

The Aydinids Principality was an important Turkish principality that had been influential in the political and cultural fields in Western Anatolia since the end of the 13th century. The principality, which was prominent with its maritime activities as well as its effectiveness in port trade, generally remained the same until the end of the 14th century. Tire, which is currently a district of İzmir, stood out as the administrative and cultural center of the principality, and architectural works and tombstones from this period have survived to the present day. The tombstones exhibited in the Tire Museum are important documents reflecting the artistic understanding and social structure of the period. This study examines the tombstones of Kimyâ Hatun, Hatice Hatun and Güneş Melek, which are located in the Tire Museum and date back to the Aydinids period. Kimyâ Hatun’s tombstone dates back to 1348-1349, and it is understood that she was the daughter of her father, Emir Mehmed, son of Kılıçan. The fact that the phrase “el-şehîde” is found on her tombstone indicates that she was described as a martyr. The lamp motif on the back of the stone symbolizes the illumination of his soul with divine light. Güneş Melek’s tombstone dates back to 1386 and her father is listed as Mevlâna Sadeddin. The presence of the title “Mevlâna” suggests that he had a high religious or academic status. Hatice Hatun’s tombstone is dated 1377 and her father is listed as Ahmed Pasha. The tombstones are similar in terms of form and decoration and reflect the artistic understanding of the period. These tombstones are of great importance in terms of understanding the cultural influence of the Aydinids Principality in Anatolia and the pre-Ottoman tombstone traditions. The Arabic inscriptions on the tombstones show the influence of the written language used at the time and the influence of Islamic thought. Expressions such as “merhûme” and “mağfûre”, which are frequently found in the inscriptions, indicate that the deceased was a Muslim and received the mercy of Allah. The form of the tombstones, especially with the door and window motifs, reveals that death was seen as a transition to the afterlife and that the grave had the quality of a passage. While tombstones were differentiated according to gender and status during the Ottoman period, it is seen that in the early Anatolian principalities, women's and men's tombstones were similar to each other. These tombstones are important works that reflect both the artistic style of the period and the Islamic understanding of death and should be evaluated as a part of the cultural heritage of Aydinids. In this study, the inscriptions and decorative elements on the tombstones of Kimyâ Hatun, Hatice Hatun, and Güneş Melek, which are housed in the Tire Museum, have been examined.