In the Tahtalı Plateau of the Nurhak district, located in Kahramanmaraş in southern Türkiye, graves belonging to nomadic herders in an area locally known as “Çağleli” have attracted attention. The cemetery, situated far from any settlements, was reportedly used until the 1980s by shepherds from Pazarcık and Gaziantep to bury their deceased relatives.
Nurhak district is known for its high-altitude mountains and plateaus, and the Tahtalı Plateau was one of the main destinations for shepherds until the 1980s. The cemetery is located far from the nearest settlement, which is approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) away, and the plateau now stands out for its quiet, remote atmosphere.
The burial tradition continued until the 1980s but ended as transportation options improved. Today, funerals are carried out in the herders’ hometowns, leaving the cemetery largely abandoned.
History and geography researcher Yusuf Köleli provided detailed insight into the area, saying: “More specifically, this area is known as Çağleli. The locals actually call the small pebbles around the springs behind us Çağleli, and that’s where the name comes from. We are standing in front of the graves of shepherds who used the surrounding plateaus long ago."
"This area was used as a cemetery by the local population. There are no settlements nearby. It was entirely a place where shepherds buried their deceased relatives. The nearest settlements are 10 kilometers away. These people were not shepherds residing in nearby villages. Most of them came from Pazarcık and Gaziantep until the 1980s for livestock farming. After the 1980s, as transportation improved and roads were built, funerals started being carried out in their hometowns, even if livestock farming continued,” he added.
Köleli emphasized that in the present day, the plateau is mainly used by locals, and he has not encountered anyone taking responsibility for maintaining the graves. “Shepherds from Pazarcık and Gaziantep no longer come here. I have never seen them. This is actually my sixth or seventh visit to this area. I have not met anyone maintaining these graves or anyone from the local population who claims ownership of them."
He said: "What the locals told me is that these graves belong to people from Pazarcık and Gaziantep who used these plateaus until the 1980s. I confirmed this in Sadakalar Village in Pazarcık. They personally told me that our elders’ graves are in the Çağleli region. But nearly 50 years have passed since then. Yes, burials continued here until the 1980s. Some graves even have dates; for example, the one behind us is dated 1976. After 1980, burials likely stopped here."
He continued: "We could describe this region as the roof of Maraş. We are in the Nurhak Mountains, with plateaus that rise above 2,000 meters. Even today, it takes about an hour to reach the plateau from the nearest accessible settlement. This is an incredibly vast and rich geography.”
