‘Allah’ inscription found on 4 stones of demolished historic church in Türkiye
Archaeological research in Karaman uncovers stones inscribed with "Allah" within the ruins of a historic church, shedding light on the early Islamic period in the area
A survey on Kara Mountain, an extinct volcano located 45 kilometers (27 miles) north of Karaman in Türkiye, unearthed four stones engraved with the word "Allah."
Professor Ilker Mete Mimiroglu, who serves as the head lecturer of the Early Christian and Byzantine Arts Department at Necmettin Erbakan University's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, is leading the study.
The region has a rich cultural heritage in terms of faith tourism, featuring numerous churches, monasteries and tombs. The ongoing archaeological survey focusing on the religious architecture of the Eastern Roman period at Kara Mountain's Binbir Church, which commenced last year with authorization from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has yielded new discoveries.
It was determined that the inscription “Allah” was on four stones among the ruins of the destroyed historical church.
Historian Mimiroglu claims conquest raids targeted ancient cities and settlements in Central Anatolia during the early Islamic period, between the seventh and eighth centuries. While Mimiroglu's findings are based on historical documents and sources, he acknowledges the difficulty in uncovering archaeological evidence of these raids.
Mimiroglu noted the discovery of four variations of the word "Allah" inscribed in Arabic script on the stones of the church structure, according to the inventory. He expressed his gratitude for the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Necmettin Erbakan University, Karaman Municipality, Karaman Promotion Platform, and the city's leading industrialists in facilitating the research.
Source: Newsroom
