Lost Seljuk inscriptions discovered in Antalya
ANTALYA
Researchers have discovered 45 Seljuk-era inscriptions — many previously unknown or considered lost — hidden behind walls, rooftops and vegetation in the historic Kaleiçi district of Antalya.
The inscriptions, found during studies supported by the Antalya Governor’s Office, were documented and translated by Seljuk history researcher Mahmut Demir and cultural official Gülcan Acar from the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism.
According to historical sources, Antalya — today’s Kaleiçi area — was founded during the Hellenistic period by Attalus II Philadelphus, the king of Pergamon who ruled between 159 and 138 B.C., after instructing his soldiers to “find me heaven on Earth.” Over the centuries, the city hosted numerous civilizations, from Lycia and Pamphylia to the Roman and Byzantine empires and later the Seljuks and the Ottomans.
The city was famously described by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as “undoubtedly the most beautiful city in the world.”
Antalya was first conquered by Kaykhusraw I on March 5, 1207. Research into the Seljuk period has uncovered numerous conquest inscriptions embedded in the city walls and houses of Kaleiçi.
A total of 45 stone inscriptions were located, photographed and documented before being translated.
Demir said Antalya served as one of the most important port cities and winter centers of the Seljuks in Anatolia.
“As is known, Antalya was conquered twice by the Seljuks,” he said.
“The first conquest took place on March 5, 1207, during the reign of Kaykhusraw I. However, four years after his death, internal turmoil within the Seljuk state caused the city to fall out of Muslim control and into Byzantine hands.”
Demir noted that Kaykaus I later besieged the city, surrounding it within three days. The siege lasted one year and one month.
“The siege began on Dec. 24, 1215, and the conquest was completed on Jan. 22, 1216,” he said.
HH Discovery of a monumental conquest text
Demir explained that the conquest coincided with Eid al-Fitr in the Islamic calendar, prompting Sultan Kaykaus I to commission a conquest proclamation.
“This proclamation is the largest known inscription from the Seljuk period in Türkiye,” he said.
Written in poetic Arabic, the inscription was carved into stone as if written on paper. The full text consists of 45 fragments — 43 forming the main proclamation and two supporting pieces.
Originally installed along the walls of Antalya, some pieces have since been lost as sections of the fortifications disappeared over time. Seven fragments are missing, nine are displayed at the Antalya Ethnography Museum, and 29 remain on the surviving city walls.
Demir said locating the inscriptions required extensive fieldwork across Kaleiçi.
“Many of these inscriptions are in hidden places, on rooftops or inside private properties, and some have been damaged or covered by vegetation,” he said.
Acar photographed the stones individually using digital techniques, while Demir prepared their translations and textual analysis.
Acar, who works as a photographer for the Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, said the inscriptions were recreated as relief replicas matching their original size and appearance.
“These inscriptions are incredibly aesthetic,” she said. “Many people pass by them every day without noticing.”
The exhibition featuring the replicas is currently being shown at venues including Akdeniz University and the Atatürk Cultural Center as part of the city’s conquest anniversary events.