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The 12 tombs at the Muradiye Complex in Bursa, Turkey, are the final resting place of 40 members of the Ottoman dynasty. They’re included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Bursa. This entry includes tombs 10-12 and a tombstone exhibition.
Tombstone Exhibition
After tombs 7-9, the suggested path through the Muradiye Complex continues to an exhibition of Ottoman tombstones. There are hundreds on display dating between the 15th and 19th centuries. Only one small section contains real graves.
The first part of the exhibition includes tombstone headpieces, which gave details about the person’s social status and identity. Tombstones belonging to men were decorated with headdresses according to their occupation or religious sect, while tombstones belonging to women included motifs of flowers or necklaces.
The rest of the exhibition is broken down into three chronological sections: 15th-16th century, 17th-18th century, and 19th century. Tombstones on display were written in Ottoman, Persian, and Arabic. In addition to the tombstones, there are building inscriptions and architectural pieces.
Saraylılar Tomb
The 10th tomb in the Muradiye Complex is to the east of the Muradiye Mosque. The open-air Saraylılar Tomb (Saraylılar Türbesi) is named for the two women of the Ottoman court who were buried there. The construction date is estimated to be sometime in the 15th century, but the sponsor is unknown.
The two sarcophagi belong to Akile Hanım and Belkıs Hanım. They were the older sisters of Mahidevran (c. 1500-1581), a consort of Süleyman the Magnificent. The tomb is the only one in the complex topped with a pyramidal spire.
Tomb of Hüma Hatun
Next to the Saraylılar Tomb is the tomb of Hüma Hatun (Hüma Hatun Türbesi). It was commissioned by Sultan Murad II in 1449 and later built by his son, Mehmed the Conqueror. It’s also known as the Hatuniye Tomb (Hatuniye Türbesi) or the White Tomb (Ak Türbe).
The interior of the tomb is covered with hand-drawn decorations dating back to the 19th century. They cover the walls, mihrab, and dome.
The tomb was built for Hüma Hatun (c. 1410-1449), the fourth wife of Sultan Murad II and the mother of Mehmed the Conqueror. Her origin may have been Italian, Jewish, or Serbian.
Tomb of Şehzade Ahmed
The 12th and final tomb at the Muradiye Complex is the tomb of Şehzade Ahmed (Şehzade Ahmed Türbesi). It’s back near the complex entrance and next to the tomb of Murad II. It was built in 1513 by his brother, Sultan Selim I. The architect was Bedreddin Mahmud Bey.
The entrance to the tomb has a marble door case with a drop arch. Inside, there are hand-drawn decorations on the dome and dome skirt, as well as hexagonal turquoise and dark blue tiles along the walls. There’s also fine calligraphy above the tiles.
There are six marble sarcophagi in the tomb. Buried alongside Şehzade Ahmed are his mother, Bülbül Hatun (d. 1515); his younger brother, Şehzade Şehinşah (1471-1511); and Şehzade Mehmed, the son of Şehzade Şehinşah. The other two burials are believed to be Sofu Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Bayezid II, and Kamer Sultan, the daughter of Şehzade Ahmed. It’s also presumed that Şehzade Korkut (1469-1513), the brother of Şehzade Ahmed and Sultan Selim I, is also buried there.
Şehzade Ahmed (c. 1465-1513) was the son of Sultan Bayezid II and his favored successor. After Selim dethroned his father and became Sultan, Ahmed declared himself Sultan of Anatolia and captured Konya. He controlled a part of Anatolia for the first few months of Selim’s reign. They met in battle on April 24, 1513, near Yenişehir, where Ahmed was defeated and arrested. He was executed shortly after.
