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Earliest Turkish Cemetery in Europe Identified on the Gallipoli Peninsula
Archaeological research on the Gallipoli Peninsula has revealed what is believed to be the earliest known Turkish cemetery in Europe, dating to the 14th century. The discovery sheds new light on the early Turkish presence in southeastern Europe.
The cemetery was identified during restoration and survey work at the Küçükanafarta Historic Turkish Cemetery in the Eceabat district of Çanakkale. Researchers documented 8,731 graves distributed across an area of approximately 100 decares, with burial forms closely resembling Central Asian Turkish funerary traditions.
Analyses conducted in cooperation with historians, art historians, and academic institutions—including carbon dating and structural studies of the gravestones—confirmed the cemetery’s 14th-century date. The burial styles align with early Turkish-Islamic practices known from Anatolia and Central Asia.
Several gravestones rise several meters above ground and resemble balbal stones, a distinctive element of early Turkic burial culture. One of the oldest sampled graves measures nearly four meters in total height, with a substantial portion extending below ground.
Restoration and documentation work is nearing completion, and the site is expected to open to visitors once conservation efforts are finalized. When accessible, the cemetery is anticipated to become a major historical destination alongside the peninsula’s well-known heritage sites. In symbolic terms, specialists compare its significance to that of the Ahlat Cemetery, which reflects early Turkish history in Anatolia.
Published on: 07-01-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Daily Sabah