Abstract:

Tombstones, one of the smallest monuments of Turkish art, are very important in terms of reflecting the culture, artistic taste, social and economic situation of the period they were built and shedding light on the past of the cities. As in most parts of Anatolia, the tombstones began to deteriorate rapidly in Edirne, which was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Cemeteries are mostly affected by these deteriorations, and mosque burials are in a slightly better condition. Interest and responsibility towards the burial ground and tombstones has made great progress in the last period. There has been an increasing number of publications on this subject. To be able to follow the historical course of a settlement, the tombstones have a very important place, and the tombstones in Keşan also present the historical course of this region. Our study includes the gravestones found in the graves of Hersekzade Ahmet Paşa, Hacı Mehmet Ağa and Bekir Varnalı Mosques located in the Keşan town center, the Erikli Village Cemetery located 34 km from the Keşan town center and the Tepe Cemetery in the town center. The earliest dated tombstones belong to H. 925/ AD .1519 and the latest dated H. 1332/ AD .1913-14. It is possible to see the motif, composition and style, development and changes that emerged in Turkish art over the centuries on the tombstones in the Keşan region. In this respect, the study is important in terms of shedding light on the Ottoman history of Keşan.