Istanbul: While abroad, renowned Turkish poet Yahya Kemal was once asked a seemingly simple question: 'What is Trkiye's population?' His response was a figure so high that those around him were taken aback. 'Why the surprise? We live with our dead,' he explained. Kemal, whose grave can be found in the Asiyan Cemetery, renowned for its views of the Istanbul Strait and as the resting place for many poets and musicians, offers a glimpse into the customs surrounding the city's cemeteries.
According to Anadolu Agency, in Istanbul, the notion of 'living alongside the dead' is not just a metaphor, something that becomes apparent as you navigate the city's streets. You might walk through a Muslim cemetery on the way to the metro or bus, or leave a shopping mall to face the towering gravestones of a Greek Orthodox cemetery, with massive crosses at their center. Istanbul is an ancient city with a population of over 15 million and is home to a wide array of cemeteries serving Muslims as well as Christian, Jewish, and other communities. Many date back centuries, including those established during Ottoman rule beginning in the mid-15th century. As the city has expanded and urbanized over the centuries, cemeteries that were once on the outskirts now sit at its heart.
A cultural element also plays a key role in this, explains Fatih Cavus, an author specializing in Ottoman gravestones. 'Life and death were closely intertwined in the Ottoman era. But cemeteries today are found on the outskirts of the city. Back then, burials took place in the courtyards of mosques and tombs, even in schoolyards. People witnessed death,' he tells Anadolu. Walking through the cemetery in the courtyard of Suleymaniye Mosque - one of the historical peninsula's landmarks - takes you past the tombs of famed Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and his wife, Hurrem Sultan, also known as Roxelana.
Cavus explains that cemeteries of the time were usually marked by two gravestones: one at the head and another at the feet of the deceased. If floral decorations appear on the headstone, it marks a woman's grave; if it is a fez or turban, it signifies that of a man; and if the gravestone is smaller, a child. He also notes that the cemetery is primarily the resting place for prominent figures of the time, including government officials and nobles. 'According to Ottoman gravestone typology, even without knowing Ottoman Turkish, you can often guess who the grave belongs to based on the decorations.' Another striking feature of Muslim cemeteries is the 'water basins' carved into the graves.
In Christian cemeteries, graves often include a space for a vase or container for flowers as a symbol of respect, remembrance, and honoring the deceased. In the Greek Orthodox Cemetery located in Sisli, which is one of Istanbul's central districts, one finds many of these floral decorations and monumental tombs that make the site feel almost like an open-air museum. Located right across from a well-known shopping mall and nestled between the Armenian Catholic and Italian Jewish cemeteries, this site is the largest cemetery for Istanbul's Greek community.
In an interview with Anadolu, Gedeon Varytimos, the clergyman in charge of Istanbul's Holy Trinity Church of Pera, shares the story behind the cemetery's most striking monument. 'As a work of art, this monumental tomb belongs to George Zarifi, an Ottoman Greek who was a banker in the 19th century. Known for his wealth and philanthropy, he was a member of the Zarifi family, one of Istanbul's prominent families during that time.' One of the cemetery's most remarkable features is the rows of 'cabin-shaped graves' that resemble telephone booths.
In Istanbul's Ulus Ashkenazi Jewish Cemetery, tombstones inscribed in multiple languages stand alongside those in Hebrew. Cemetery Director Natan Siliki tells Anadolu that these diverse inscriptions reflect centuries of migration, as Jews who settled in Istanbul brought their languages with them. From French and Russian to German and Ladino, each inscription serves as a lasting tribute to the deceased's heritage.
Siliki also highlights a burial practice specific to Istanbul, where it is performed with coffins, unlike other cities where the deceased are laid to rest with shrouds, similar to Muslim customs. 'In our religion, burials in water are strictly forbidden. In the past, at the Haskoy Cemetery, one of Istanbul's first Jewish cemeteries, because water was seeping up from the ground, the chief rabbi at the time and the board of trustees made a decision to require burials with coffins.' The cemetery also contains a memorial tomb to honor the victims of the 1986 and 2003 attacks on the Neve Shalom and Bet Israel Synagogues in Istanbul.