Hüdavend Hatun Tomb: A Seljuk Princess’s Kümbet

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

What is Hüdavend Hatun Tomb?

The Hüdavend Hatun Tomb (Hüdavend Hatun Türbesi or Kümbeti) is a small octagonal stone tomb in the centre of Niğde, built in 1312 by a Seljuk princess. The 2002 inventory calls it one of the rarest works of Seljuk art. Its walls are carved with geometric patterns and, unusually for an Islamic funerary building, with figures: birds with human heads, a lion beside a timid gazelle and a double-headed eagle.

It is small enough to see in twenty minutes, but the quality of the carving rewards a closer look.

How do you get to Hüdavend Hatun Tomb?

The tomb is in Niğde town centre, a short walk from the Alaaddin Mosque and the Sungurbey Mosque, and right beside the Gündoğdu Tomb. Niğde is reached by bus from Ankara, Kayseri, Nevşehir and Adana; the nearest airport is Nevşehir Kapadokya.

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When is the best time to visit Hüdavend Hatun Tomb?

Any time of year. The reliefs are carved shallowly, so the low, raking light of early morning or late afternoon brings them out best. Combine the visit with a summer-morning stop at the Alaaddin Mosque to see the crowned woman’s shadow.

What is the history of Hüdavend Hatun Tomb?

The construction inscription over the portal dates the tomb to 1312–1313 and names its builder, Hüdavend Hatun, daughter of the Anatolian Seljuk ruler Rukneddin Kılıç Arslan IV, according to the provincial culture and tourism directorate. (The 2002 inventory names her father as Kılıç Arslan V; the directorate’s identification is followed here.)

By then the Seljuk sultanate was in its final decades under Ilkhanid Mongol control, and Niğde was governed by Ilkhanid officials. Hüdavend Hatun built the tomb in her lifetime. The inventory records that she died in 1332 and is buried here, and that two more graves were added later: those of Paşa Hatun, daughter of Emir Şücaeddin, who died in 1430, and of Belkıs, daughter of a governor of Niğde, who died in 1563.

What is Hüdavend Hatun Tomb famous for?

• Figurative reliefs. Human-headed birds and animals carved above the windows, rare on a Seljuk tomb.
• The double-headed eagle. A spread-winged double-headed eagle, the Seljuk symbol.
• Stone and marble. The directorate notes the mix of stone and white marble around the door, windows and bands.
• A woman patron. It was commissioned by a Seljuk princess, who is buried inside.

What can you see at Hüdavend Hatun Tomb?

The octagonal body. The inventory describes it in detail: above a base ending in a fluted moulding rises an octagonal body decorated with intricate geometric patterns. From above the windows, the faces carry overhangs shaped like fluted garlands, and an octagonal prismatic cone, swelling slightly towards the top, crowns the building.

The reliefs. Above the windows are carved human-headed birds and various animals in relief. In one place a timid gazelle stands beside a lion; in another, a double-headed eagle spreads its wings.

The inscription. Over the door, the inscription gives the date of construction and the identity of the builder.

The interior. Inside, the octagonal hall is covered by a semicircular dome and has a mihrab in the south wall. Three graves lie here: Hüdavend Hatun’s and the later graves of Paşa Hatun and Belkıs. Access to the interior may depend on whether the caretaker is present.

The Gündoğdu Tomb. Right next door, this tomb is dated around 1344 by the grave inscription of Ahi Bevvap, son of Gündoğdu. Its square base becomes twelve-sided above, and its entrance is covered entirely with carving.

Frequently asked questions about Hüdavend Hatun Tomb

What do the official records say about Hüdavend Hatun Tomb?

The tomb, in the centre of Niğde, is one of the rarest works of Seljuk art. It was built in 1312 by Hüdavend Hatun, daughter of Rükneddin Kılıç Arslan.

Above the windows, birds with human heads and various animals are carved in relief. In one place there is a timid gazelle beside a lion, and in another a double-headed eagle with spread wings (this eagle is the symbol of the Seljuks). The inscription above the door gives the date of construction and the identity of the builder.

In the tomb, beside the grave of Hüdavend Hatun, who died in 1332, there are two more graves. These belong to Paşa Hatun, daughter of Emir Şücaeddin, who died in 1430, and to Belkıs, daughter of the governor of Niğde, who died in 1563. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Niğde Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)