Reflections of the Old Turkic Statue Tradition in the Upper Section of the Islamic Cemetery in the Kale District, Denizli
Mustafa Beyazıt1
, Başaran Doğu Göktürk2, Yusuf Baştürk3
1Pamukkale Üniversitesi, İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Fakültesi, Sanat Tarihi Bölümü, Denizli/ TÜRKİYE 
https://ror.org/01etz1309
2Harran Üniversitesi, Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü, Şanlıurfa/TÜRKİYE https://ror.org/057qfs197
3İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Türk-İslam Arkeolojisi Anabilim Dalı, İzmir/TÜRKİYE https://ror.org/024nx4843
Keywords: Kale-i Tavas, Tombstone, Central Asia, Tamga, Balbal, Statue, Stone Ancestor.
Abstract
The limited residential area in the ancient city of Tabae, located at the 70th kilometer of the Denizli-Muğla highway, created significant difficulties in identifying suitable burial grounds throughout history. During the Turkish-Islamic period, the Kale-i Tavas Cemetery in the Kavaklıpınar area, divided by the highway, served as the main burial site. Since 2015, systematic documentation efforts in the eastern section of this cemetery, known as the Upper Cemetery, have recorded over four thousand tombstones of cultural and historical value. Among these, a distinct group of tombstones stands out with their geometric decorations, tribal tamgas, and human-shaped or silhouetted forms, reflecting the traditions and cultural elements of the Turks from the pre-Islamic period and evoking strong associations with Central Asia. This study focuses on eleven tombstones belonging to a distinct group that can be regarded as representatives of the balbal tradition and the Old Turkic statuary culture originating from Central Asia. The tombstones in question are described based on their surface decorations, forms, and body characteristics, and these descriptions are supported with drawings and photographs. The stones are examined in subgroups according to their distinctive features: those bearing elements of clothing, depictions of jewelry, incised human silhouettes, and figurative examples shaped with clearly rendered human limbs. Predecessors and comparable examples of these stones are analyzed through a comparative approach, including selected cases from Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea basin, and within the borders of modern-day Türkiye. The study also explores how this tradition, rooted in the pre-Islamic period, has been sustained through time by adapting to different belief systems up to the present day.
It is declared that scientific and ethical principles were complied with during the preparation of this study and all the works referred are mentioned in the bibliography.
The Author(s) declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest.