Ankara - Türkiye
Excavations in the Seljuk Goaash cemetery in the state of Van, eastern Turkey, revealed a tombstone buried under the soil no more than fifty centimeters deep, bearing a finely engraved signature: “The work of Professor Muhammad al-Tabrizi,” adding a new name to the list of engravers documented at the site.

Gouache Cemetery...an open museum extending over 50 dunams

The Goaş Cemetery is one of the largest Turkish-Islamic historical cemeteries in Anatolia. It extends over an area of approximately 50 dunums, and includes the tomb of Halima Hatun, which dates back to the fourteenth century. Since 2022, the site has witnessed extensive excavation and restoration work under the umbrella of the “Heritage to the Future” project of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

A fourth name joins the list of engravers

Previous works had revealed inscriptions bearing the names of three other engravers: “Professor Asad,” “Youssef bin Miran,” and “Omar bin Abbas.” With the discovery of the signature of “Muhammad Al-Tabrizi,” the number of known engravers on the site increases to four.

Arjan Jalesh: The discovery reveals the individual artistic style of the engraver
In statements to Anadolu Agency, Arjan Galish, head of the excavation team, explained that the importance of the witness is not limited to the stone material, but rather lies in revealing the individual artistic style of Tabrizi; The decorations reflect the skills of the craftsman and the feelings of the era in which he lived. He added, "The contrast of lines and decorative geometry among the discovered evidence demonstrates the diversity of the artistic architectural school that managed this site."

An exceptional opportunity for the Arab visitor

This discovery represents an exceptional opportunity for the Arab visitor interested in Islamic heritage, as it reveals the networks of movement of craftsmen across the cities of the Islamic East during the Seljuk era. The signature shows that the medieval beauty maker was not just an unknown craftsman, but rather an artist who was aware of the value of his visual impact and was keen to immortalize his name in stone. The site also opens a window to the Gulf tourist on an artistic journey that crossed the mountains and borders from Tabriz to the far east of Anatolia, making the Goaş Cemetery a cultural station worth visiting within the heritage tourism programs in Türkiye.