Memory Carved in Stone: A Cultural Journey from Kayseri to Turkistan
Updated: 2 days ago
KAYSERİ - What story, reaching all the way from Turkistan, might a gravestone standing quietly in a village in Kayseri be waiting to tell? Could a tribal mark, an ornamental motif, or a small symbol invite us to reconsider our connection with the past?
At Tohumluk Foundation, we are preparing to embark on a new journey guided by these questions. Inspired by Kayseri’s selection as the 2027 Cultural Capital of the Turkic World, our “Memory Carved in Stone” project aims to draw attention to the historical and cultural heritage of rural Kayseri and raise awareness of the importance of its preservation.
Led by our Kayseri team, the project seeks to explore cultural connections between Turkestan and Anatolia through Turkmen gravestones bearing tribal marks and decorative motifs, particularly those found in Develi. The tamgas, or tribal marks, of the Oghuz tribes, symbols passed down through generations, and ornamentation on gravestones from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods will be central to the research. Examples of gravestones from Turkestan and Anatolia following the adoption of Islam will be examined for traces of shared cultural memory.
We are beginning this journey with research and learning. On October 1, 2026, our Kayseri volunteers attended a seminar at Erciyes University led by the project’s academic advisor, Prof. Aslı Sağıroğlu, Head of the Department of Art History. The seminar provided a foundation for the project’s work, helping participants develop the knowledge needed to interpret traces of the past with care.
Our Kayseri volunteers Nilüfer Bıçakcıoğlu, Hayriye Boz, Ayşe Uzunlu, Belgin Kayacık, Nihal Hodul, Şenay Öztürk, and Gülsen Yağmur Al came together for the seminar. Prof. Aslı Sağıroğlu will lead the project’s academic research, while Serra Menekay is expected to support efforts to access relevant examples from across the Turkic world.
“Memory Carved in Stone” also aims to connect research with art and community participation. A planned exhibition and seminar will bring together gravestone photographs, graphic interpretations of ornamental motifs, migration routes, and comparisons between Turkestan and Kayseri. Activities in Develi will explore historical motifs through contemporary craft practices, alongside efforts to raise awareness of cultural heritage preservation. The project is scheduled for completion in October 2027, with the exhibition and seminar planned to take place in central Kayseri.
Stone carving, once part of everyday life and traditions of remembrance, now offers us a way to understand the past. A mark or motif on a gravestone can prompt new questions about identity, belief, belonging, and migration. Through academic research, we hope to better understand these traces, share their cultural significance, and contribute to their preservation.
The bridges we build between urban and rural communities are now leading us toward memories carved in stone. Sometimes, a small mark can open a large door to the past.
Ours is the path, and ours is the journey…
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