TOMB STONES

Turks never cut their relationship with those who departed this world. The living offer prayers as well as spiritual gifts. It is a practice to visit their tombs, particularly on holy days.

Hun Kurgans, Turk's oldest know burial grounds near Altay mountains looks like a small mound outside with a hidden burial chamber inside. Gokturks prefered a simple burial stone over the grave circled with statues called balbal representing the enemies killed by the deceased in his life time. Uygur customs, on the other hand, were graves covered by a dome called stupa. In Seljuks and Ottomans, we see the range from simple and unassuming grave stones to monumental stand alone mausoleums or tombs (see tombs section in architecture).