Torumtay Türbesi

Editor's Note

The tomb of Seyfeddin Torumtay, governor of Amasya, was built in 1278 beside the Gökmedrese Mosque he had commissioned in 1267, the two forming a small enclosed complex. Built entirely of cut stone, the türbe carries its ornament high on the structure rather than around doors and windows, a departure from most Seljuk tombs; the high reliefs at the upper corners of the south façade count among the distinctive works of Seljuk stone carving. A zigzag motif of dark green tiles gives the building its colour, and in the burial chamber below, the governor's cenotaph carries Quranic verses in celi script.