Description of the attraction
The burial complex of Sultan Askebe Turbesi is located inside the fortress of Alanya, a hundred meters from the Suleymaniye Mosque. It was erected in 1230 by order of Askebe Turbesi, the first head of the fortress under Sultan Aladdin Keykubat I. The complex was made of stone, and the dome and inner walls were covered with bricks. The building, which has the shape of a square, consisted of two rooms - directly the tomb of Sultan Askebe Turbesi and mesjit. The tomb contains a long tomb.
Three more tombs are also located here. Most likely, the apse of the mesjit was previously covered with faience. It has an image with an inscription, which says: "Only the Most High knows the conquerors of heaven and earth. Houses for praying to Allah are built only by those who truly believe in Him and in the coming of the loan day. The building was built in 1230, during the reign of the needy. in the favor of Allah the great sultan Aladdin, his poor slave Askebe. " On the pedestal, a few meters from the mesjit, there is a cylindrical minaret made of bricks. Until now, only a part of the minaret has reached the balcony.
Even in the rock on which the tomb is located, three additional ancient tombs are carved, each of them two meters long. From the sources that have come down to us, it is known that they were used in later periods as reservoirs for water.
The ashtrays placed in the salons and in the garden are a peculiar symbol of the complex. For the most part, these vessels are products of local origin, which were widespread in the Cilician region. They were made of limestone and associated with a funeral ceremony. Understanding perfectly well how difficult it is to make a grave in a rocky area, local residents were forced to burn the bodies of the dead, and place the ashes in special vessels made of limestone, which was very abundant in the area. They say they believed that the burning of the deceased was supposed to bring his loved ones immortality and at the same time testified to respect for the deceased. The vessels were made of various sizes and belonged mostly to the Roman and Byzantine periods. The vessels resemble a sarcophagus in shape, and the lid is similar to a saddle.
