Cemetery of Crimean Khans in Khan's Palace
To the south of the Big Khan Mosque is situated The Khans Cemetery, where Nine Crimean Khans,
forty-five other members of the ruling dynasty, and some representatives of a court aristocracy are buried.
Cemetery of Crimean Khans in Khan's Palace in Bakhchisaray is known to be the place of the burials of these Crimean Khans:
- Devlet(Dawlat) I Giray, 1577 (monument lost)
- Gazi(Ghazi) II Giray, 1607 (monument lost)
- Islam III Giray, 1654 (monument lost)
- Mehmed(Muhammad) IV Giray, 1674 (monument preserved)
- Hacy(Haci) Selim I Giray, 1704 (monument lost)
- Mengli II Giray, 1739 (monument preserved)
- Selim II Giray, 1748 (monument preserved)
- Arslan Giray, 1767 (monument preserved)
- Qirim Giray, 1769 (monument preserved)
Also you can see two Durbes(Mausoleums) on the territory of the Cemetery: the Northern one (Durbe of Devlet(Dawlat) I Giray with six burial places, 16th century),
and the Southern one (Durbe of Islam III Giray with nine burials, 17th century).
The Mengli II Giray burial place is surrounded by a rotunda.
Currently there are approx. 100 of marble and limestone tombstones remained on the Cemetery inside both mausoleums and in the garden.
It's a pity that unknown number of tombstones have been lost since the Khanate times.
Most of these marble monuments show fine decorations an ornamental stone-carvings,
they are topped with stone-carved male or female headdresses, and decorated with epitaphs.
Here you can see the carved cypresses and hurma trees dropping fruits (as the signs of a grief), as well as roses, vines,
and stylished rosettes (as the signs of an eternal life).
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