Мавзолей Зейнал-бека, Islamic mausoleum in Hasankeyf, Turkey
The Mausoleum of Zeynal Bek, also known as Zeynel Bey Mausoleum, is a 15th-century funerary structure in Hasankeyf, in the Batman Province of Turkey. It has a cylindrical body topped by a conical roof and is faced with turquoise ceramic tiles that cover much of its outer surface.
The structure was built shortly after 1473, the year Zeynel Bey died in the Battle of Otlukbeli. The design follows the Nakhchivan school of architecture, a tradition that spread across eastern Anatolia during that period.
The mausoleum takes its name from Zeynel Bey, a son of the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan, and reflects the tradition of honoring noble figures through burial monuments. Visitors can walk right up to the exterior and examine the decorative tilework at close range.
The mausoleum stands in Hasankeyf and is easy to spot when walking through the historic center. Since the area was affected by the Ilisu Dam project, the structure was relocated and can now be visited at its new site.
Before the waters from the Ilisu Dam rose, the entire mausoleum was moved to a new location in a single operation using a steel frame. This made it one of the few medieval structures of this kind to be physically relocated in Turkey.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
