Tomb of Suleyman Shah

Tomb of Suleyman Shah
Süleyman Şah Türbesi
View of the building complex of the Tomb of Suleyman Shah (its second location, 1973 – February 2015), seen from the Euphrates river
View of the building complex of the Tomb of Suleyman Shah (its second location, 1973 – February 2015), seen from the Euphrates river
Tomb of Suleyman Shah is located in Syria
Tomb of Suleyman Shah
Tomb of Suleyman Shah
Coordinates: 36°52′45″N 38°6′20″E / 36.87917°N 38.10556°E / 36.87917; 38.10556
Country Syria (geographic location)
 Turkey (ownership)
GovernorateAleppo Governorate
Elevation
475 m (1,558 ft)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)

The Tomb of Suleyman Shah (Arabic: ضريح سليمان شاه; Turkish: Süleyman Şah Türbesi) is, according to Ottoman tradition, the grave (tomb, mausoleum) housing the relics of Suleyman Shah (c. 1178–1236), grandfather of Osman I (d. 1323/4), the founder of the Ottoman Empire. This legendary tomb has since 1236 had three locations, all in present-day Syria.

From 1236 until 1973, its first location was near castle Qal'at Ja'bar in present-day Raqqa Governorate, Syria.

Under the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), breaking up the Ottoman Empire into Turkey, Syria, and other states, the tomb site remains the property of Turkey.

In 1973, when the area around castle Qal'at Ja'bar was due to be flooded under Lake Assad, the tomb by agreement between Turkey and Syria was moved 85 km (53 mi) northward on the Euphrates River in Syria, 27 km (17 mi) from the Turkish border.

In early 2015, during the Syrian civil war, Turkey unilaterally moved the tomb again to a new site in Syria, about 180 m (590 ft) from the Turkish border, 22 km (14 mi) west of Kobanî and just north of the Syrian village of Ashme,[1] evacuating the approximately 40 Turkish soldiers guarding the tomb.[2] The Turkish government has stated that the relocation is temporary,[3] and that it does not constitute any change to the status of the tomb site.[4][5]

  1. ^ "Minister invites Turks to visit planned tomb site in Syria". Hürriyet Daily News. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Turkish military enters Syria to evacuate soldiers, relocate tomb". Reuters. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference xinhua-relocation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference gov.15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference mfa14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).