Abstract
Grave Stones in the Graveyard of Tokat Mahmut Pasha Mosque
Grave stones have an important place in our material cultural assets. Inscriptions
on them reveal a lot in terms of their decorative elements and forms. Since grave stones,
which are historical and artistic documents, are vulnerable to nature and human-related
destruction and because they are not sufficiently protected, their numbers are rapidly
decreasing day by day. Studies on grave stones have increased in recent years and grave
stones from different parts of Anatolia have been recorded and documented. However,
there are still many grave stones that need to be examined in many cemeteries, graveyard
(small graveyards in the yard of historical buildings), or museums. This study contributes
to the existing studies by focusing on grave stones in the graveyard of Mahmut Pasha
Mosque located in the center of Tokat city. Mahmut Pasha Mosque is located on Behzat
Avenue in Mahmut Pasha neighbourhood, which is the central area of Tokat. This
mosque, which does not have an epitaph to indicate its exact history, by the way from
the name of the mosque is dated back to 17. century. There is a graveyard containing
seventeen graves on the south of the mosque. Twelve of these graves hold a significant
place in terms of history of art. The remaining 5 graves were not evaluated because they
were surrounded by head stones of no artistic value or stones surrounding the grave. In
this study about the grave stones in graveyard of Mahmut Pasha Mosque, headstones and
feetstones belonging to the 12 graves have been examined and their significance for their
historical period have been revealed.
Keywords
Tokat, Mahmut Pasha Mosque, Grave Stones, Graveyard, Ornament.
