Repetition of Cultural Memory: Figured Gravestones Found in The Villages Where Koçgiri Tribe Settled

Decorated gravestones in the villages of the people of Koçgiri Tribe located in Develi and Sarız districts of Kayseri constitute the subject of this study. Sarız, one of the largest districts of Kayseri, has 42 villages. It shows a cosmopolitan structure consisting of Circassians, Afshars and Kurds. With the settlement of Circassian emigrants in the last quarter of the 19th century, Circassian villages started to be established. In the second half of the same century, Kurds from Koçgiri tribe settled in the region. Another ethnic group brought by the same century is the settlement of the nomadic Afshars in the region. In this century, Sarız was the sub-district of Aziziye (Pınarbaşı). Develi, which is one of the biggest districts of Kayseri, has 75 villages converted into neighbourhood in 2014. Gümüşali, Sancakağıl, Altısöğüt and Ördekli villages of Sarız are among the villages inhabited by members of the Koçgiri tribe. Develi's Karapınar and Derebaşı Villages are also among the places where the Koçgiri tribe is located. These villages were founded by people who belong to the Koçgiri tribe who settled in the region in the second half of the 19th century and who have Alawi faith. Koçgiri tribe is a tribe spread to Tunceli, Erzincan and Sivas. Figured gravestones in the villages where the members of the Koçgiri tribe settled in Sarız are the subjects of this paper. Among the decorations are man on a horse, birds, architectural depictions, moon-star motifs, tree of life, ewer and coffee sets, as well as geometric compositions. These ornaments include designs that continue the Turkish tradition of Central Asia. In this paper, instead of introducing gravestones in catalogues, an evaluation of cultural continuity will be made through the repeated examples of these compositions in Kayseri in the 19-20th Centuries, which spread to different regions with the conquest of Anatolia.
Keywords: Gravestone, Tradition, Ornament, Culture