A Sanduga (Azerbaijani: Sənduqə, Arabic: صندوقة; literally "tombstone chest") is a type of tombstone that is erected atop a grave, originating during Islamic rule in Azerbaijan, although similar styles are present in Timurid era monuments in Uzbekistan and later in Ottoman Turkey.[1][2] Typical sanduga are made of concrete or limestone and are created in a rectangular form, with an exterior rich in detailed carvings.[3] Such carvings are usually geometric patterns combined with Arabic calligraphy, the latter which is often Qur'anic verses and sometimes a eulogy about the entombed person.[3] After the Soviet occupation of Azerbaijan, the practice of Sanduga was discontinued, while a large number of such tombstones at cemeteries in mountainous and rural areas were destroyed, either due to modernization or due to lack of care resulting in dilapidation.[3][4][5]
A group of Sanduga is currently held in the private collection of the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan.[5][6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Sənduqə". Azərbaycan Sovet Ensiklopediyası [Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia] (in Russian and Azerbaijani). Vol. 5. Baku: Азәрбајҹан Совет Енсиклопедијасынын Баш Редаксијасы.
- ↑ "SANDUKA". TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi (in Turkish). Retrieved 2026-04-07.
- 1 2 3 Bretanitsky, L.S. (1976). Shikirich, I.A. (ed.). Искусство Азербайджана IV — XVIII веков [Art of Azerbaijan from the 4th–18th centuries] (in Russian). Moscow: Искусство. pp. 250–251.
- ↑ Alakbarli, Aziz (1994). Qədim Türk-Oğuz yurdu – “Ermənistan” [Ancient Turkic-Oghuz homeland - "Armenia"] (in Azerbaijani) (1st ed.). Baku: Sabah nəşriyyatı. pp. 77–82.
- 1 2 Meshadikhanum, Nemat (2001). Корпус эпиграфических памятников Азербайджана [Corpus of epigraphic monuments of Azerbaijan] (in Azerbaijani). Vol. 3. Baku, Azerbaijan.
- ↑ "Vitrin 67" [Showcase 67]. Milli Azərbaycan Tarix Muzeyi (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
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