Seljuk Sultans' Bones Lost & Found

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 29 September 2017)


                  May they now rest in peace.

The construction of the historic Alaeddin Mosque in Konya began in
the time of Seljuk Sultan Rükneddin Mesud I and was opened to
worship by Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I in 1221.  The tomb in the
garden of the mosque houses the remains of Sultans Mesud I,,
Kılıçarslan II, Rükneddin Süleyman II, Giyaseddin Keyhüsrev II,
Alaeddin Keykubat I, Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev II, Kılıçarslan IV and
Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev III.

In the 1960s during the restoration of the tomb, workers took out the
bones of the Sultans from their graves beneath their cases and put the
bones in bags.  Dogs entered through the airconditioning compartment,
though, and took off with some of the bones.  Miraculously (!), the
bones were found in the vicinity of Alaeddin Hill.


                    ...in happier days.


Another restoration of the mosque began in 2014 and the bones of
Sultan Kılıçarslan II and his son Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev were identified,
based on their skulls.  The re-burial of the two Sultans took place on
28 July and was attended by Konya Governor Yakup Canbolat and
two AKP parliamentarians.


                  Anatolian Seljuk Empire