Saints and Tombs of Elazığ

Teslim Abdal (Teslim Sultan Abdal)

A prominent bard (ozan) and pir of the Alevi-Bektashi tradition; his tomb is in the village of Şeyh Hasan (Tabanbükü) in the Baskil district of Elazığ. Together with his contemporary Sarı Kazak Abdal he is counted among the tradition's most important bards, leaving a mark on Alevi-Bektashi literature with his nefes and deyiş poems. According to his gravestone he died in 1135 AH/1722. The tomb is part of the heritage moved to Tabanbükü after the original village was submerged under the Karakaya Dam reservoir, and it is intensively visited. It is recorded in neutral language in keeping with Rule #9's principle of equal respect for all sects and orders. (Sources: 'Teslim Sultan Abdal', Dictionary of Turkish Literature Names, Yesevi University; Abdulkadir Kıyak, doctoral thesis, Erciyes University 2010.)

Shaykh Hasan al-Naki Efendi

A Naqshbandi-Khalidi scholar, the middle son of Shaykh Ali Septi, who served as professor and mufti of Palu (1843-1918). He received his early madrasa education in his father's İblaşiyye Madrasa, served as imam at the Kasımiyye Mosque, and was appointed mufti of Palu in 1888, holding that office until 1918; he combined teaching and spiritual guidance at the Palu lodge and madrasa. As his father's khalifa he continued the scholarly and Sufi tradition of the Sebtî family. He died and is buried in Palu. (Sources: Muhammed Çetkin, 'A Professor and Mufti in Palu: Shaykh Hasan al-Naki', Bingöl University; Serdar Karabulut, Akademiar Journal 2018/4.)

Shaykh Mahmud Feyzi Efendi

A Naqshbandi-Khalidi shaykh of the Sebtî family of Palu (d. 1894), descended from Shaykh Ali Septi and among those who continued the tradition of spiritual guidance and teaching at the Palu lodge. Raised in the scholarly-Sufi line of his father and family, he contributed to the spread of the Khalidi order in the region. He died in Palu and is buried in the family cemetery. (Sources: Serdar Karabulut, Akademiar Journal 2018/4; Yüksel Arslantaş & Rüstem Kadri Septioğlu, International Palu Symposium, Fırat University.)

Shaykh Hüseyin Zeki Efendi

A Naqshbandi-Khalidi shaykh of the Sebtî family of Palu (d. 1914), descended from Shaykh Ali Septi and among those who continued Sufi guidance and scholarly activity at the Palu lodge. He carried on his family's Khalidi tradition and assumed the spiritual guidance of the people in the region. He died and is buried in Palu. (Sources: Serdar Karabulut, Akademiar Journal 2018/4; Yüksel Arslantaş & Rüstem Kadri Septioğlu, International Palu Symposium, Fırat University.)

Hajji Cuma Hoca of Mirmehmet

A scholar and spiritual guide buried in the village of Mirmehmet in the Kovancılar district of Elazığ, known locally for his learning and piety (d. 1944). He devoted himself to the religious education and guidance of the people of the region, and after his death his grave in the village became a place of visitation. (Sources: Abdulkadir Kıyak, 'The Phenomenon of Visitation in Elazığ and its Environs', doctoral thesis, Erciyes University 2010; Elazığ Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism inventory of tombs.)

Shaykh Ahmed Dede (Ahmad al-Tawil)

A figure whose tomb is in the village of Baskil district (formerly Şeyh Hasan, today Tabanbükü) in Elazığ, regarded as the pir of the 'Şeyh Hasan/Şeyh Ahmed Dedeler' (Tavil) hearth (ocak) of the Alevi-Bektashi tradition. His identity is archivally documented by an endowment entry for the 'zawiya of Shaykh Ahmad al-Tawil' in the Malatya cadastral register of 967 AH/1560, which establishes him as a verified historical ocak dede. When the original Şeyh Hasan village was submerged under the Karakaya Dam reservoir in 1987, the tomb and associated heritage were moved to Tabanbükü. It is recorded in neutral language in keeping with Rule #9's principle of equal respect for all sects and orders. (Sources: 967 AH/1560 Malatya cadastral register endowment entry; Abdulkadir Kıyak, doctoral thesis, Erciyes University 2010.)

Sayyid Mahmud Samini

A Naqshbandi-Khalidi shaykh raised in Palu (1812-1896); he served alongside Shaykh Ali Septi for thirteen years, reached high spiritual stations, and became his khalifa. After his master's death he continued spiritual guidance in and around Palu, and the 'Saminiyya' branch of the Naqshbandiyya is named after him. He died around 1896 (1314 AH); his tomb, in the old Palu (Meydan) Cemetery on the north bank of the Murat River east of Palu, is a brick structure faced with tiles and topped by a copper-clad conical dome. His grandson Şehid Sadeddin Efendi is also buried in the tomb. (Sources: ehlisunnetbuyukleri.com; evliyalar.net; Dergipark 'A Khalidi Shaykh in Palu: Mahmud Samini'.)

Arap Baba

A place of visitation in Harput famed for the undecayed body kept in a glass sarcophagus in the lower part of a two-storey structure (mosque above, tomb below). According to its inscription the building was erected by Yusuf b. Arabshah in 678 AH/1279-80 during the reign of the Seljuk sultan Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw III; however, the identity of the person in the sarcophagus has not been established by any reliable historical source (legend calls him a Seljuk-era warrior/commander or a saint). The reason the body has not decayed remains scientifically unresolved. Because the identity and religious role of the occupant are undocumented, it is recorded transparently as a shrine 'of disputed identity,' with no firm attribution to an authentic saint or scholar. (Sources: Kültür Envanteri; Kültür Portalı; Fırat University Harput archive.)

Fatih Ahmed Baba

A semi-legendary Sufi-warrior remembered by his tomb and mosque at the Göllübağ site in Harput; popularly also known as 'Fetamet/Fethi Ahmet.' According to tradition he was born in Balkh, entered the Sufi path, and took part in battles during the conquest of Anatolia; per the inscription on his wooden sarcophagus he died in 713 AH/1313 (martyred during the recapture of Harput). Evliya Çelebi in his Seyahatname refers to his lodge as a 'great convent.' His biographical details are legendary and there is no modern TDV entry; yet the tomb is a registered cultural asset and the death date is documented by the sarcophagus inscription. The tomb is visited especially by those wishing for children. (Sources: harput.web.tr; Kültür Envanteri; Dergipark academic article on the Fatih Ahmet Baba tomb.)

Ankuzu Baba

A legendary warrior-dervish remembered by his tomb atop the Ankuzu rocks about 7-8 km north of Harput. According to tradition he was martyred during the conquest of Harput in the campaigns for Anatolia, his body remaining undecayed in a cave for many years; today he is buried in that area, his tomb beside the lodge and mosque built by Beyzade Efendi (1810-1904). His precise identity and death date cannot be documented (one tradition holds he was a soldier in the 8th-9th-century Arab-Byzantine wars); it is therefore recorded transparently as being of disputed identity/grave-certainty. Its location, one of the highest points in the area, is also known as a place of visitation and recreation. (Sources: harput.web.tr; evliyalar.net; Günışığı Gazetesi.)

Sayyid Muhammad Qattal

A place of visitation in the village of Kartaldere (formerly 'Şeyhkatülan') north of the town of Gezin in the Maden district of Elazığ, marked by a complex of tomb, guesthouse, mosque and kitchen. According to a marble plaque on the tomb wall he was of the Prophet's descendants, his lineage traced to Imam Husayn; tradition holds that he was martyred in a battle during the spread of Islam in Anatolia and buried here (the village's old name means 'the slain shaykh'). Because the information on the grave and death date rests on local tradition and the plaque, it is recorded transparently as a maqam whose grave-certainty is disputed and cannot be confirmed by reliable historical documents. (Sources: evliyalar.net; Elazığ Fırat Gazetesi; Elazığ shrines survey, Fırat University Harput archive.)

Sayyid Mansur Baba

A place of visitation in Harput marked by a two-storey, octagonal-plan tomb in the Cami-i Kebir quarter (northwest of the Sara Hatun Mosque). According to tradition Mansur Baba was the son of Arslan Baba, the teacher of Ahmad Yasawi, and by his father's testament was raised under Ahmad Yasawi before coming to Anatolia with Turkmen tribes. Because a 'Mansur Baba zawiya' appears as an endowment in the 16th-century cadastral registers (1518, 1523, 1566), the structure is established as a historic zawiya/shrine; however, the man's identity and death date rest on tradition, and some of the cenotaphs on the lower floor have also been suggested to belong to the Artukid dynasty. It is therefore recorded transparently as being of disputed identity/grave-certainty. (Sources: Kültür Portalı; harput.web.tr; 16th-century Harput cadastral registers.)

Shaykh Ali Septi (Khwaja Ali al-Sabti)

The founding shaykh of the Naqshbandi-Khalidi path in the Palu region of Elazığ (c. 1785-1871), one of the leading khalifas of Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi. Around 1830, at Mawlana Khalid's direction, he came to Palu and began spiritual guidance; the influence of his lodge spread to Diyarbekir, Harput, Erzurum and Bitlis, and Mahmud Samini trained under him for years. After a life of more than ninety years he died in 1871; his tomb stands on a hill facing the Palu district across the Murat River, where he is buried together with his son Shaykh Mehmed Efendi. He played a central role in the spread of the Khalidi order in the region. (Sources: Akademiar Journal 2018/4; Elazığ Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism; evliyalar.net.)

Bayzada Hajji Ali Riza Efendi

A prominent scholar and Naqshbandi Sufi of Harput (1810-1904). He first studied under Hajji Ali Efendi, known as 'Shaykh al-Ulama,' then under Hafiz Mehmed Efendi of Dagestan, and by his teacher's testament was appointed professor at the İbrahim Pasha Madrasa. He received the Naqshbandi path from Mehmed Rehavi of Urfa and was made his khalifa, teaching at the Meydan and Alaca mosques and living nearly a century. By his own will no domed tomb was built; he was buried in a plain grave in the Meteris Cemetery of Harput, later enclosed by an iron railing and turned into a place of visitation. (Sources: Elazığ Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism; ehlisunnetbuyukleri.com; harput.web.tr.)

Omer Naimi Efendi of Harput

A professor and scholar who also served as mufti of Harput (1801-1882), known as 'the commentator of the Qasida al-Burda.' Son of Hajji Ahmed Efendi, he studied first under his father, then earned his license from Küçük Hafiz Necib Efendi in Antep and studied under Hoca Kasım Efendi in Kayseri. He trained many students in Harput, performed the Hajj in 1843, lost his sight late in life, and was succeeded by his son Abdülhamid Efendi. His chief works include a commentary on the Qasida al-Burda, the Manzûme-i Naîmiyye, a commentary on the Rub' treatise, and a gloss on the Velediyye; he has no separate mausoleum and is buried in the Harput cemetery. (Sources: ehlisunnetbuyukleri.com; Türkiye Gazetesi biography; ESTAD academic article.)

Sayyid Ahmad Chapakchuri

A Naqshbandi-Khalidi shaykh and Sufi originating from the village of Kür/Dikme in Çapakçur (Bingöl) (1830-1921), one of the khalifas of Shaykh Ali Septi. He chose the path of poverty (faqr) in Sufism and spent long years guiding people in and around Harput. It is related that during the Russian advance in World War I he prevented the people of Harput from migrating and reassured them in the mosque courtyard. He died in 1921 (1340 AH) and, by his will, was buried in the courtyard of the Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) of Harput. (Sources: Türkiye Gazetesi; huzurpinari.com; Akademiar Journal 2018/4.)

Hajji Omer Hudai Baba

One of the leading Qadiri spiritual guides of Elazığ (1821-1905). He met Hayyat Vehbi (Terzi Baba) in Erzincan, attended his gatherings for a long time to learn the subtleties of Sufism, and received a Qadiri license. Settling in the village of Kövenk (Güntaşı) in the Mollakendi area of Elazığ, he trained many students; his khalifas such as Göllü Mustafa Baba and Muhammed Baba of Akçakiraz spread the Qadiri order. He died in Kövenk in 1905; his tomb is an octagonal three-domed structure that also holds the cenotaphs of his khalifas and dervishes. (Sources: Elazığ Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism; evliyalar.net; Yeni Mesaj newspaper series.)

Osman Bedreddin al-Erzurumi (İmam Efendi)

İmam Efendi

Born in the Abdurrahman Ağa quarter of Erzurum, he became known as “İmam Efendi” because he served as a battalion imam during his military years. A Naqshbandi-Khalidi shaykh, he was a successor (khalifa) of Mahmud Sâminî Paluvî and a leading figure of the Sâminî branch, leaving works such as “Gülzâr-ı Sâminî.” Retiring from military service in 1909, he settled in Harput, holding his gatherings in the Kurşunlu Mosque. He died in Harput and was buried in his türbe in the Meteris Cemetery. (Birth/death years vary across sources — 1856/1858 and 1922/1924 — and are therefore omitted.)