Süleyman Şah Türbesi

Turkmens had also traveled to and settled in Syria and Iraq before arriving in Anatolia. Historical accounts state that the tribe to which the Ottoman dynasty belonged came to Türkiye via Syria. Early Ottoman historians such as Aşıkpaşazâde, Neşri, and Oruç Bey gibi recount that Süleyman Şah, the ancestor of the Ottoman dynasty, drowned while crossing the Euphrates River near Ca‘ber Castle and that his body was recovered and buried at the foot of the castle. Süleyman Şah likely died in the early 13th century by drowning in the Euphrates near Ca‘ber Castle. These same sources also state that Süleyman Şah’s grave was known as the “Türk Grave.”

The region was a place where Turkmens lived in large numbers. For the Turkmens and local inhabitants, the Tomb of Süleyman Şah was an important pilgrimage site. Süleyman Şah’s grave in Ca‘ber was known from the early days of the Ottoman Beylik as “Mezar-ı Türk” or “Mezar-ı Türkî” and gradually became a significant pilgrimage destination. By the 15th century, popular beliefs surrounding Süleyman Şah’s grave had already taken shape. According to historical texts, “those suffering from fevers would go to this türbe, recite the Fatiha, and, by the will of Allah, be cured of their affliction.” The grave was also visited by sick horses.

Evliya Çelebi visited Ca‘ber Castle and the Tomb of Süleyman Şah during his 17th-century journey to Syria. He describes the türbe under the title “Ziyaretgâh-ı Süleyman Şah” as follows: “The great ancestor of the Âl-i Osman, Süleyman Şah, father of Ertuğrul Bey, departed from the land of Mâhân and came to the Osman-li Selçukids. While resting with all his men at the foot of Ca‘ber Castle, Süleyman Şah needed to perform ritual ablution and went into the Euphrates River, where, by the will of Allah, he drowned. His noble body was then buried on a hill at the foot of the castle.”

^{Süleyman Şah Türbesi - Located in Karakozak Village on the Aleppo–Hasseki road, 2012} (Anadolu Ajansı)

During the reign of Abdülhamid II, tombs were constructed for important figures throughout the empire, one of whom was the great ancestor of the sultan, Süleyman Şah. In January 1882, the Aleppo Vilayet Council requested permission to build a türbe over Süleyman Şah’s grave. In April 1884, the first survey report regarding the construction of the türbe reached Istanbul. The survey estimated that 49,145 kuruş would be required for construction. According to the prepared plan, the square-shaped türbe was to be accompanied by a well, storehouses, rooms, and a barracks for soldiers assigned to guard the tomb. In July 1884, permission to build the türbe was granted by Abdülhamid II. Construction, funded by the imperial treasury, was completed in 1887. A non-commissioned officer and a türbedar with a monthly salary of 100 kuruş were appointed to guard the türbe. In 1910, the Aleppo Vilayet Council appealed to Istanbul for repairs to the türbe. During an inspection under Sultan Mehmed Reşad, it was determined that the türbe did not adequately reflect the dignity and honor of Süleyman Şah, and repairs were decided upon.

During the National Struggle, the TBMM government sat down with France to negotiate a border agreement. Türkiye insisted that historical rights be taken into account when drawing the border with Syria. It demanded that the border pass through Ca‘ber Castle, known as the “Türk Mezarı,” believed to be the resting place of the grandfather of Osman Gazi. However, France rejected this proposal, and the border was drawn farther north of Ca‘ber Castle, though the area containing the Türk Mezarı was recognized as Turkish territory. In accordance with Article 9 of the Ankara Agreement signed between the TBMM government and the French government on 20 October 1921, the region containing the türbe known as the “Türk Mezarı” near Ca‘ber Castle and its northwestern slopes (8,797 m²) was left to Türkiye because of its spiritual significance to the Anatolian Turks. The status of the türbe as Turkish territory was further confirmed by the Treaty of Lausanne on 24 July 1923.

In accordance with the Law on the Closure of Tekkes, Zaviyes, and Tombs and the Abolition of Certain Titles of Türbedars, enacted on 30 November 1925, the türbe was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education in 1926. Following the 1925 law concerning tekkes and zaviyes, the salary of the türbedar of the Süleyman Şah Türbesi was discontinued. Due to the türbedar’s petition, the türbe came to the attention of the Republic of Türkiye authorities. Under the Law on Tekkes, Zaviyes, and Tombs, the imam’s salary for the Süleyman Şah Türbesi, previously discontinued, was thereafter paid from the budget of the General Directorate of Foundations starting in 1931.

In 1936, correspondence began regarding the construction of a police station to provide protection for the türbe with a “Respect Medal.” On 23 June 1937, a decree was adopted allocating funds for the construction of a police station for the Süleyman Şah Türbesi. The Süleyman Şah Türbesi police station was officially opened in June 1938.

After 1938, a police station was also built on the site of Süleyman Şah’s grave. The Turkish flag flew over the gendarmerie station located in this area, recognized as Turkish territory. In 1949, one junior officer, one sergeant, and eight soldiers stationed at the Ca‘berkale Gendarmerie Station guarded the türbe. There was also an imam present at the türbe. On 8 September 1949, the salaries of the soldiers guarding the türbe were increased.

In 1951, Konya Member of Parliament Saffet Gürol, who inspected the condition of Ca‘ber Castle, Süleyman Şah’s grave, and the shrines in Aleppo and Damascus, reported the irregularities he observed to state authorities. Following the MP’s raising of the issue, the Süleyman Şah Türbesi was reviewed. Poor living conditions for the soldiers stationed at the türbe and the police station were identified. At a high-level meeting in Aleppo on 5 August 1956, a new arrangement concerning the soldiers guarding the türbe was adopted.

In 1963, internal unrest erupted in Syria, and our soldiers stationed at the Süleyman Şah Türbesi were temporarily trapped. When Syria began construction of the Tabqa Dam in 1966, it became clear that the grave would be submerged by rising waters, and Syria requested its relocation. In accordance with the agreement reached with Syria, on 24 December 1973, under the supervision of Deputy Head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs Tayyar Altıkulaç, the graves of Süleyman Şah and those buried with him in the türbe were relocated northward to Karakozak, although no new türbe had yet been constructed. In 1975, a new türbe was built over Süleyman Şah’s grave. Ca‘ber Castle is 92 kilometers from Türkiye as the crow flies, while Karakozak is 28 kilometers away.

^{Süleyman Şah Türbesi - Eshmesi, Syria, 2015} (Anadolu Ajansı)

In 1990, when Syria began construction of the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates River, the possibility of relocating the Süleyman Şah Türbesi again became a matter of public concern. In 2001, the Süleyman Şah Türbesi was brought to the agenda of the TBMM. On 22 January 2003, Turkish and Syrian delegations in Ankara signed a technical protocol regarding the Süleyman Şah Türbesi. The same year, the protocol was approved by the Council of Ministers and enacted into law. On 13 May 2004, the Süleyman Şah Türbesi Arbitration Project was signed between Turkish and Syrian officials. Prior to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Syria in 2005, the türbe re-entered public discourse. In August 2006, the Council of Ministers adopted a new 22-article protocol concerning the türbe. In 2007, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism allocated 4.5 million TL to protect the türbe from the dam waters. In 2011, civil war erupted in Syria, and the Süleyman Şah Türbesi once again became a matter of public concern. On 2 October 2014, during debates in the TBMM on the Syria and Iraq resolutions, the Süleyman Şah Türbesi was mentioned numerous times.

After the outbreak of civil war in Syria, a decision was made to relocate the türbe. During the night of 21–22 February 2015, the graves inside the Süleyman Şah Türbesi were opened, and the coffins were temporarily moved to Eshmesi, Syria, by a Turkish military operation, and the original site of the türbe was completely destroyed.