A decorated stone bearing six repetitions of the name of the Prophet Muhammad in Kufic script has been discovered during archaeological excavations at the Seljuk cemetery in the ancient city of Ani, Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said.
Ersoy announced the discovery in a post on his NSosyal account, saying the artifact was uncovered at Ani, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Türkiye’s eastern border.
The discovery was made during excavations that have been ongoing at the Seljuk cemetery since 2021, Ersoy said.
“We have unearthed a unique artifact in Ani, which opened the door to Turkic-Islamic history in Anatolia with Sultan Alp Arslan’s conquest in 1064,” Ersoy said, referring to the Seljuk ruler who captured the city.
The 51-by-21-centimeter (20-by-8-inch) stone features a raised-relief design centered on an eight-pointed star. An inscription band surrounding the star repeats the name of the Prophet Muhammad six times in Kufic script. Because only half of the artifact has survived, three of the six repetitions are currently visible, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
Archaeologists believe the stone was part of a Seljuk tomb monument, known as a kumbet, in the cemetery.
Ersoy described the artifact as a lasting expression in stone of the Seljuks’ devotion to the Prophet Muhammad and said it provides evidence of Ani’s Turkic-Islamic identity, the religious beliefs of the period and the burial culture of medieval Anatolia.
Ani, conquered by Sultan Alp Arslan in 1064, is regarded as one of the key sites associated with the beginnings of Turkic-Islamic history in Anatolia.
Archaeological findings indicate that Ani’s Seljuk cemetery was the first Turkic-Islamic cemetery and the first Turkish military martyrdom cemetery in Anatolia, according to the ministry.
The ancient city is also significant for its Islamic architectural heritage, including structures described as Anatolia’s first conquest mosque, first mosque and first prayer hall.
Similar decorative motifs can be found at several other historic monuments in Anatolia, including the 1191 Mama Hatun Tomb in Tercan, the 1224 Great Mosque of Malatya, the Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir and the Tahir and Zühre Prayer Hall in Konya.
Ani is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for its exceptional medieval architecture and its significance as a crossroads of different cultures and civilizations.
Ersoy announced the discovery during the Muslim observance of Mawlid, which commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. He extended greetings to Türkiye and the wider Muslim world and expressed hope that the occasion would bring peace, tranquility and mercy to humanity.
