The Tombstones of Ahlat

I visited this tWHS in Spring 2021 as a side trip from Van Lake, 42 km from Tatvan. The several ornately carved Tombstones of Ahlat were a very pleasant surprise. There are wooden boardwalks you can walk on which make it easier to visit and appreciate the different groups of tombstones and a quaint museum nearby.

The history of the city of Ahlat dates back to 900 BC, the Urartu era, but the tombstones are mostly from the medieval age, that is the 12th to 15th centuries. The city was left to Turkish rule by the local Byzantine governor in 1055. It was later used as a forward station by Alp Arslan forces during his successful military campaign against Byzantine Emperor Remenos Deogenes for the Seljuk control of Eastern Anatolia in 1071. The city was later seriously destroyed once during a capture by Celaleddin Harzemsah in 1229 and shortly after by a major earthquake. There are at least six ancient burial grounds in Ahlat that are the reminders of a long historical past and a glorious cultural heritage. The most important tombstones are in the cemeteries known as Harabe şehir cemetery, Taht'ı Suleyman cemetery, Kırklar cemetery, Kale cemetery, Merkez cemetery and Meydanlık cemetery. Among these, only the Kale cemetery has Ottoman tombs. The Ahlat graveyards were used by both the Seljuks and the Ottomans.

In all there are more than 8,000 graves (some still unexcavated), 1,500 of which are in perfect condition. The vast majority of the tombstones …

Ahlat is located in Turkey’s eastern province of Bitlis, west of Lake Van - or as it is called by the locals the Sea of Van - approximately 44 kilometres north of the town of Tatvan, from where it is possible to take a minibus.

In October 2018 we travelled there in about two hours by car coming from the city of Muş. Ahlat is set in a dramatic scenery with mountains, steep valleys and the shores of Lake Van; it has the feel of an open-air museum with its pieces of art from several periods scattered across the landscape. Ahlat, a small town of 20,000 people has much more to offer than the cemeteries it is known for. It is a recent member of the Cittaslow network, promoting lifestyle and culinary delights. Make sure you stay for lunch or dinner to enjoy food cooked from fresh local ingredients. Ahlat, like so many places in Eastern Anatolia is renowned for its hospitality which we experienced first hand when by chance we met the deputy mayor of the town who immediately insisted to take us around the sites personally.  

Ahlat was inscribed in the UNESCO’s temporary list in 2000 for its tombstones and gonbads (Persian-style Domes). About 8000 monumental stones up to a height of four metres, some with Kufic inscriptions and floral motives, some without, and all made of volcanic red material found in the area, make up in six locations, on a surface area of 210,000 m2, …

This site is scheduled for inclusion in 2020. It consists of six ancient burial grounds situated around the town of Ahlat, on the north-western side of lake Van. It is a 2 and 1/2 hours by car on a spectacular and perfect highway from Van town. Of the six cemetaries, only the biggest is well signposted, right at the entrance of the town. There is a brand new and informative museum next to it.

This main cemetary is called Meydanlik. It is enormous, with tousands of tombstones made of reddish volcano turf in the middle of a large huge field. I visited this site in october 2018. Walking around this vast was very atmospheric, reinforced by a stormy weather and many crows flying around the tombstones. I was the only visitor that morning, but there were several people renovating the tombstones (basicaly removing the lichen covering them). The tombstones breathtaking, as high as 4 meters, and richely decorated with geometric, vegetal and stylized scipts. On the horizon is Nemrut volcano.

I lacked any information about the 5 others cemetary, which are not signposted. There seem to be much smaller and much less imporessive than Meydanlik.

Entrance is free for the cemetary, 6 lira for the small museum (worth a look to better understand the area). Taking photos is not allowed, and reminded upon entrance. Well, on a 2 km long field, this rule is a little difficult to enforce, and I still did take some …