Zeynel Bey Tomb: The Tiled Akkoyunlu Tomb Saved from Hasankeyf

On this page

1. What is the Zeynel Bey Tomb?
2. How do you get to the Zeynel Bey Tomb?
3. When is the best time to visit the Zeynel Bey Tomb?
4. What is the history of the Zeynel Bey Tomb?
5. What is the Zeynel Bey Tomb famous for?
6. What can you see at the Zeynel Bey Tomb?
7. Frequently asked questions about the Zeynel Bey Tomb
8. What do the official records say about the Zeynel Bey Tomb?

What is the Zeynel Bey Tomb?

The Zeynel Bey Tomb is a 15th-century mausoleum from Hasankeyf, and the best-known monument saved from the Ilısu Dam reservoir. It is a round brick tower with a domed interior and a conical roof, wrapped in bands of turquoise and dark blue glazed tiles.

It was built for Zeynel Bey, a son of the Akkoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan. For more than five centuries it stood on the flat land by the Tigris below the Hasankeyf cliff. In 2017, before the reservoir began to fill, it was moved to the new Hasankeyf Cultural Park, where it now stands with other relocated monuments.

How do you get to the Zeynel Bey Tomb?

The tomb stands in the Hasankeyf Cultural Park near New Hasankeyf, south-east of Batman city on the road to Midyat. Minibuses and taxis run from Batman to New Hasankeyf; with a car, the park is an easy stop on a drive between Batman and Mardin. The nearest airport is Batman (BAL).

Tours in Hasankeyf

−5% Istambul readers save 5% on every tour below — applied at checkout.

See all tours

Partner listings via GetYourGuide · free cancellation on most

When is the best time to visit the Zeynel Bey Tomb?

April–May and October–early November are the most comfortable months. The tiles are at their best in the low sun of the early morning and late afternoon, when the turquoise glaze catches the light. Summers in the Tigris valley are very hot, so avoid midday in July and August.

What is the history of the Zeynel Bey Tomb?

The Akkoyunlu (White Sheep) were a Turkmen confederation that ruled eastern Anatolia, northern Iraq and western Iran in the second half of the 15th century, under their greatest ruler Uzun Hasan. In 1473 Uzun Hasan fought the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II at Otlukbeli, in today’s Erzincan province, and was defeated.

The Batman Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism dates the tomb to the Akkoyunlu period, 1460–1487. The inscription on its north door gives the date of 11 August 1473, the day of the Battle of Otlukbeli, in which Zeynel Bey lost his life. The directorate’s text says the inscription names the architect as Pir Hasan, son of Abdurrahman.

The tomb stood in the old town of Hasankeyf until 2017. As the Ilısu reservoir was about to rise, it was moved to the Hasankeyf Cultural Park. The old town was submerged by July 2020.

What is the Zeynel Bey Tomb famous for?

• Its tilework. Three rows of glazed-tile inscriptions encircle the body of the tomb, repeating the words “Allah – Muhammad – Ali”.
• A rare form. The 2002 inventory calls it the last example of its kind; the directorate describes it as the only one of its type in Anatolia.
• Its relocation. Moving the tomb in 2017 made it a symbol of the effort to save part of Hasankeyf.
• Its history. The link to the Battle of Otlukbeli, one of the decisive battles between the Akkoyunlu and the Ottomans.

What can you see at the Zeynel Bey Tomb?

The tile bands. Walk around the tomb to follow the three rows of glazed-brick lettering that circle the drum. The inventory notes that these tile inscriptions give the tomb’s architecture a distinctive aesthetic.

The structure. The tomb chamber is round outside and octagonal inside. Its ceiling is a dome, covered on the outside by a conical cap.

The inscription. Above the north door, the building inscription refers to the Battle of Otlukbeli.

The Cultural Park. The other monuments moved from Hasankeyf stand nearby, and the reservoir and the old citadel rock are in view from the new town. Combine your visit with the Batman Museum, which displays finds from the Hasankeyf excavations.

Frequently asked questions about the Zeynel Bey Tomb

What do the official records say about the Zeynel Bey Tomb?

The tombs in Hasankeyf are the Tomb of Imam Abdullah and the Tomb of Zeynel Bey. The Tomb of Zeynel Bey was built for Zeynel Bey, son of the Akkoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan. The words “Allah – Muhammad – Ali”, written in tiles in three rows encircling the body from outside, give the tomb’s architecture a distinct aesthetic.

This aesthetic cylindrical structure, the last example of its kind, draws attention with the tiled inscriptions on it and its building inscription. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Batman Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)