Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery: A site like no other in eastern Turkey

One of the must-see historic monuments in Turkey lies way off some of the most popular tourist routes.

It's located on the shore of Lake Van in the ancient city of Ahlat in eastern Bitlis province.

Known for its unique tombstones, the Ahlat Seljuk Meydan Cemetery stands as a monument to the region's great historic significance.

The cemetery has more than 8,000 monumental stones with or without inscriptions made of volcanic red stone from the area. Some 1,500 of them are in perfect condition.

It is estimated that there are still some undiscovered graves, and the number of graves will increase with the excavation work.

This graveyard was used between the 11th and 16th centuries by both the Seljuks and the Ottomans.

Engraved with intricate geometric patterns, bands of Kufic lettering and floral motifs, Ahlat's historic cemetery is the largest Turkish-Islamic cemetery and the third-largest Muslim cemetery in the world.

On the sarcophagi and tombstones, the name of the dead person, the one who built the grave and verses from the Quran are written.

Additionally, dragons, oil lamps and geometrical motifs draw attention. There are different motifs on the front, back and side faces of the tombstones.

The Ahlat Seljuk Meydan Cemetery has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2000.

According to UNESCO, Ahlat hosts "some of the most outstanding tombstones and mausoleums of the early Turkish period in Anatolia."

"These works are not only important sources of information on the technical and decorative repertoire of the period, but also act as historical sources for important masons and craftsmen, whose names appear in inscriptions there," the U.N. agency says.

Many artifacts from the cemetery and its surrounding area are being carefully restored.

A team of experts working on the site is also planning a new project to introduce the site to the world.