Stone Abstracts in Erzurum Foundation Certificate-Charters

Abstract

Erzurum with its historical past is a significant city of eastern Anatolia. Erzurum determined its future with cultural heritage that it has. We evaluate the works made in Erzurum in three main groups. The first group has works made in Saltuklu period. The second group has works belonging to the Ilkhanid (İlhanlı) period. The third group has cultural heritage of Ottoman period. Erzurum has a distinctive place with its foundation certificate-charters engraved into stone and marble. The first foundation certificate-charter of this kind is Yakutiye Medresesi (Madrasah) dated 1310 B.C. Placed on south gazebo and the two lined inscription on east and west walls is the summary of the foundation organized by Hoca Yakut for his madrasah. For sure it is impossible to engrave all the information on stone. The most significant problem for foundation certificate-charters is their loss. Thus, people should have had concerns about this problem so that they tried to engrave the abstracts of their foundation certificate-charters on stone or marble in order to leave them forever. Our second example is an abstract of foundation certificate-charter placed on north wall in a gathering place of Caferiye Camii (Mosque) belonging to Ottoman period in 17th century and engraved on a marble. Only the mosque and fountain of this social complex reach today but this foundation certificate charter can provide information and opportunity in order to determine the other buildings and foundation properties. Our third example is an abstract of a foundation certificate-charter placed above a fountain which makes it unique. This ten-lined abstract, engraved on marble above Hacı Mehmed Ağa fountain built in 18th century gives information about the buildings and properties endowed by Hacı Mehmed Ağa. Stone abstracts of foundation certificate-charters are also significant for their calligraphic styles, calligraphers and engravers. This paper will analyze these examples in detail.