The Seljuk Meydan Cemetery, located in the Ahlat district of Bitlis, eastern Türkiye, and recognized as the largest Turkish-Islamic cemetery, is experiencing a surge in visitors during Ramadan Bayram. Listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List, the 210-acre cemetery, often referred to as the “Orkhon Inscriptions of Anatolia,” houses nearly 10,000 graves and welcomes visitors from across Türkiye.
With its monumental tombstones adorned with reliefs, motifs, carvings, inscriptions and writings, the cemetery offers visitors a journey through history.
Baran Demir, a visitor from Istanbul, expressed his admiration for Ahlat, stating: “Ahlat is a beautiful tourist destination. We love Ahlat and wanted to spend the first day of the holiday here. There are many historical sites to see, and it would be great if more people could visit.”
Professional tour guide Bilal Kılıç, who brought a group of visitors to the site, highlighted the cemetery’s significance, saying: “On the first day of bayram, we came to see Ahlat’s remarkable Seljuk Cemetery, which is in high demand. It features invaluable and extraordinary structures. I highly recommend everyone to visit.”
The cemetery contains nearly 10,000 graves, with tombstones made from volcanic red tuff stone. Some of these gravestones reach up to 4.5 meters (15 feet) in height, making them the tallest in the Islamic world. The inscriptions on the tombstones are written in Arabic and Persian calligraphy, often accompanied by intricate floral and geometric patterns. These artistic and architectural details reflect the advanced craftsmanship of the Seljuk period and highlight the influence of Islamic art in medieval Anatolia.