The grave of Sayyidah Turkan Khatun, an eastern Muslim noblewoman, was established beside Jerusalem’s Bab al-Silsila road in 753 AH / 1352 CE. Known in Arabic…
The grave of Sayyidah Turkan Khatun, an eastern Muslim noblewoman, was established beside Jerusalem’s Bab al-Silsila road in 753 AH / 1352 CE. Known in Arabic as تربة تركان خاتون, the turba takes its name from the grave chamber at its centre. Its foundation inscription identifies Sayyidah Turkan Khatun as the daughter of Amir Tuqtay ibn Saljutay al-Uzbeki, connecting her to a ruling family from the eastern Islamic world. The inscription provides the date of construction and establishes that the building was made for her burial. A noblewoman buried in Jerusalem The title khatun was used for women of high rank across Turkic and Mongol courts. The carved decoration of Sayyidah Turkan Khatun’s grave reflects that princely background, although little else from her biography has been preserved. Her burial in Jerusalem belongs to the wider history of Muslims who travelled from Central Asia and the eastern Islamic lands to the sacred city. Sayyidah Turkan Khatun’s grave also records the place held by women of ruling families within the religious and architectural life of Mamluk Jerusalem. The grave on Bab al-Silsila road The turba stands on the northern side of Tariq Bab al-Silsila, the historic street leading east towards Bab al-Silsila of Masjid al-Aqsa. During the Mamluk period, this approach was lined with madrasas, charitable institutions and graves established close to the sacred precinct. The street façade has two recessed, iron-grilled windows separated by the foundation inscription. Carved panels above them carry geometric and plant ornament. Inside, the principal grave chamber is covered by a dome supported above wall arches, with further carved panels repeating the decorative language of the façade. A deeper recess on its northern side opens into a second chamber containing Sayyidah Turkan Khatun’s grave.