Muslim Stone Gravestones of the 14th Century from the Golden Horde City of Azak

Abstract

The purpose of the work is to combine all stone Muslim gravestones of the 14th century found during the excavations of the Golden Horde city of Azak. A significant number of publications covers studies of urban and rural necropolises of the Golden Horde cities, including Azak. The publications, in addition to the description of the funerary rite, contain details of the graveside structures. However, the studies are mainly focused on the description of epigraphic inscriptions on gravestones. Their architectural design often falls out of the researchers’ field of interest. In this work, attention is paid to both the epigraphy and the stylistic features of gravestone design. As noted by the authors, the design of Azak gravestones clearly traces the influence of Asia Minor region’s traditions of the Seljuk period. But unlike the finds from Turkey, the gravestones of Azak and the Crimean cities are less ornamented and schematically decorated. The study of stone monuments, including gravestones, allowes to identify the cultural, economic and religious processes that took place in Azak, as well as to determine the origins of certain artistic traditions of different regions of the Golden Horde.

Keywords

• archaeology
• golden horde
• azak
• epigraphics
• gravestone
• thuluth
• relief
• arch
• candle
• mihrab