Karacaahmet Cemetery

Istanbul · Turkiet · Cemetery

The healer staked his own head on curing the sultan — and asked as payment for all the ground his horse could cover in a single day.

Anatolia's largest cemetery spreads over the hills of Üsküdar, cypress beside cypress, with graves from the 14th century onward. The name comes from Karaca Ahmet, in one tradition a dervish sent by Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli, in another a physician at the sultan's court. In the latter legend the ruler lay mortally ill, and Karaca Ahmet promised to cure him on the condition that his own head be taken if he failed. The sultan recovered and offered him whatever he wanted. He asked for all the land his horse could ride over. That ground became the city of the dead, and there they still lie, in numbers nobody has ever counted but which are usually given in the millions. The cypresses were planted to draw off the unease of the dead, and one does not cross Karacaahmet after dark without an errand.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Karacaahmet Cemetery?

Karacaahmet Cemetery ligger i Istanbul, Turkiet.