Mezarlar iki dünya arasında bir kapı olarak görülmüş, dünya ile ahiretin kavşak noktası olarak sayılan mezarlıklar yapılmıştır. İçerisindeki mezar yapıları ile bir tarih ve sanat merkezi haline gelmiş olan bu mekânlar, barındırdığı manevi atmosfer ve dinimiz açısından gösterilen değerden dolayı önemini hep korumuştur. Orta Asya'da Türklerin mezarlarına diktikleri "balbal" denen taşlarla başlatılan mezar taşı yapma geleneği, zamana ve dinlere göre şekil değiştirse de hiç kaybolmamış yapılmaya devam ettirilmiştir. Çevrenin ve dönemin inançlarının, sanat geleneklerinin, iktisadi ve sosyal şartlarının ortak ürünü olan mezar taşları bünyesinde bulundurduğu yazı ve süsleme kompozisyonlarıyla, sanat tarihi başta olmak üzere birçok bilim dalına kaynaklık eden; döneminin sanat zevkini, tarihini ve kültürünü yanı sıra, bulunduğu yerin, askeri, sosyal, kültürel, dinsel, ekonomik ve ticari durumlarını öğrenmede verdiği bilgiler nedeniyle de oldukça önem taşımaktadır. Ayrıca mezar taşları, eski Türk şehirlerinin geçmişine şahitlik eden birer belge gibidir. Rum Mehmed Paşa Cami Haziresi'nde tarihi mezar taşları ile ilgili yapılan araştırmada Fatih dönemine ait olan taşlar tespit edilmiş, farklı tiplerde şekillenmiş genellikle sade örneklerdir. Mezar taşlarında yoğun olarak kullanılan ikonografik anlamların yüklendiği dini kaynaklı çeşitli motiflerin (Selvi, hurma, nar, gül, asma dalı gibi) buradaki taşlarda uygulandığı görülmektedir. Hazirede 63 mezar taşından 43'ü baştaşı, 4'ü ayaktaşı, 16'sında ise hem baş hem ayaktaşı bulunmaktadır. Bu mezar taşlarından kataloglanarak ayrıntılı şekilde değerlendirilmiştir. İncelenen mezar taşlarının 30'u erkek, 24'ü kadın mezarlarına aittir. 9 mezar taşının ise kimliği belli değildir. Mermer malzemenin yanı sıra taş malzemenin de kullanıldığı Cami Haziresi'ndeki mezarlar, XVI-XIX yy. aralığına tarihlenen kitabelere sahiptir. En önemli bezemesi üzerindeki yazıtları olan taşlarda, kullanılan malzemenin kalitesi ile de bağlantılı olarak tahribat fazla değildir. Bu hazirede sosyal sınıf olarak üst kademede olan kişilere veya onların ailelerine ait taşlar olduğu, yüzeylerindeki hat ve işçiliklerinden tespit edilebilir. Bununla birlikte taşların sade olması da mezar taşı yapma geleneğini devam ettiren, gösterişten uzak mütevazı örnekler olduğunun bir kanıtıdır. Mezar taşları ve mezarlıklarımız, geçmişimizle kurduğumuz köprünün en önemli öğelerinden birini meydana getirir ve vazgeçilmez kültür miraslarımızdandır. Bu makalede, Üsküdar Rum Mehmet Paşa Cami Haziresi'ndeki Osmanlı Dönemine ait 63 mezar ve mezar taşları sanat tarihi açısından belgelenerek fotoğraflanarak kitabeleri okunmuş, mezar taşlarının başlık tipleri ve süsleme özellikleri ele alınarak Türk mezar taşı sanatı içerisindeki yerleri belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Estetik görünümleri ile meslekler, unvanlar ve inanışlarla ilgili önemli bilgilerin yer aldığı haziredeki şahideler, mezar taşı yapma geleneğini devam ettiren gösterişli örneklerdir. değerlendirilmeye çalışılmıştır. Çalışmada eserler Çalışmada etnoğrafik ve tarihi belge niteliği taşıyan bu taşlar, bilimsel olarak tanıtılarak Türk-İslam sanatındaki yeri anlatılmaya çalışılacaktır

The graves have been considered as the gates between the two worlds, as the junction of the world and the afterlife graves have been established. These places becoming a centre of history and art with the grave structures, held its importance due to the virtue being attributed to it in terms of moral atmosphere and our religion. The tradition of making headstones started with those named “balbal” planted in the graves by Turks in Middle Asia, though it has change in time and religion, it never disappeared and still used. The grave stones being product of the environment and the belief of the period, art traditions, the economical and social conditions, with the writing and ornamental compositions they bear, are the sole resource for many science particularly art history, and they are very significant to provide art enjoyment of then, its history, culture, social, military, religious, economical and the trade conditions. Moreover, the grave stones are resembling a document providing former Turkic cities. In the research made related to the graveyard of Rum Mehmed Paşa Mosque, the stones belonging to the Period of faith have been determined, and being in different forms, but plain stones. The various patterns (cypress,date, pomegranade, rose, grape etc.) from religious sources with the iconographic meanings are densely used in grave stones could be seen on these stones. In the graveyard, of 63 grave yards, 43 headstones, 4 foot stones, 16 of them both head and foot stones have been seen. These gave stones have been categorized and examined in detailed. Among the stones examined,30 of them belonging to the men, 24 to the women. The identity of 9 stones is not clear. The graves in Mosque Graveyard in which the stones as well as the marble have been used possess the epitaphs between XVI-XIX centuries. On the Stones having inscription on the most important ornaments the damage related to the quality of the material is not high. It can be determined that the people from high-rank classes and possessions belonging to them can be seen from the line and labour. Furthermore, the plain stones a continuation of the tradition of making grave stones are an evidence of humble samples far away from showing off. The grave stones and our graveyards forms one of the most crucial component of the bridge we made with the past and indispensable cultural heritage. In this article, 63 stones and graves in Üsküdar Rum Mehmed Paşa Mosque Hazira in the period of Ottoman have been examined. In the study, the works have been photographed and the type of the stones and the ornamental characteristics have been tried to be examined with the Turkish grave stone art. Their aesthetic appearances are magnificent samples showing the occupations, titles and beliefs in the tombstones of the graveyard to continue the tradition of making grave stones. The stones having ethnographic and historical document, will be introduced by its place in Turkish-Islam art The tombs were regarded as a gate between the two worlds, and the cemeteries, which were considered as the crossroads of the world and the aftermath, were built. These places, which have become a history and art center with their grave buildings, have always protected their importance due to the value shown in terms of their spiritual atmosphere and religion. The tradition of making tombstones started with the stones called "balbal", which the Turks stuck to their graves in Central Asia, and it continued to be made untouched even though it changed shape according to time and religions. Having the writing and ornamentation compositions which are included in the tombstones which are the common product of the social and the religious beliefs of the time, art traditions, economic and social conditions, is very important because of the knowledge that the period of art has given to learn the artistic taste, history and culture as well as military, social, cultural, religious, economic and commercial situations. Also, the tombstones are like a document that witnesses the past of the old Turkish cities. Rum Mehmet Paşa The complex is right next to the square known as Şemsi Pasha. It is surrounded by Şemsi Paşa Street, Eşref Saat Street and Şemsi Paşa Bostan Street. The complex was built in 1471-1472 by Rum Mehmed Paşa, who was a grand vizier for a short period during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. From the mosque, the tomb, the madrasah, the bath and the mosque, only the mosque and the tomb reached to today. Of the 63 gravestones in the, 43 are headstone, 4 are footstone, 16 are both head and footstone. These gravestones were cataloged and detected in detail. Of the tombstones examined, 30 are male, 24 are female tombs. The identity of 9 gravestones is not clear. In addition to the marble materials, the tombs in the Cami Hazirasi, where stone materials are also used, found have the inscriptions dated to between XVI-XIX centuries. In the investigation about the historical grave stones in the mosque Rum Mehmed Pasha, the stones belonging to the Fatih period (1451- 1481) were identified and they are generally plain examples formed in different types. Dates in the working tombstones are usually given only in years. In the 15 samples, the month, day and year were written together and the ebced account was used. In the two examples in the catalog, the dates are written in writing and the numbers are not used. Three different types of tombs have been identified, including earth, framed and symbolic sarcophagi. 41 of the specimens are wartime earth graves. There are 19 graves belonging to the framed and wise tombs. The number of tombs with witnessed symbolic sarcophagi is 3. Grave stones are typologically classified into two types: male and female headstones. Male headstones are rectangular prismatic shaped, with a vertical rectangular body and heading; Prismatic shaped, vertical rectangular body and headed ones close to the square; They are cylindrical bodies. Women headstones, rectangular prismatic shaped and vertical rectangular body; those of vegetable hilly, rectangular section and vertical rectangular body; they are pediments, rectangular sections and vertical rectangular bodies. Of the tombstones, 30 are male and 24 are female headstone. There are those with pedestals with a pedestal, a rectangular section and a vertical rectangular body. The earliest examples of headings in Turkish history lie in the Central Asian tradition of early Middle Ages. The tombstones titled during the Seljuk and Beylik periods continued to be diversified during the Ottoman period. According to the periods in the Ottomans, the titles have taken various forms. These are also referred to as the head covering used in the sense. The flags are made in various shapes and forms and are referred to by different names. There are examples of Hartavi, Gobbeli, Kâtibî, Fes, Dolma, Mevlevi Sikke, Halvetiyye Tâcı, Hotoz titles in the date The motifs in the tombstones, the artistic understanding and style of the period they were processed, social and cultural interactions, and so on. It is important in terms of reflecting elements. Various religious motifs (such as cypresses, dates, pomegranates, roses, hanging scrolls) where the iconographic meanings used intensively are buried in the grave stones appear to have been applied in these stones. In the stone with the inscriptions on the most important decoration, the damage is not too much in relation to the quality of the material used. All the tombstones examined are in Arabic and the language of the texts is Ottoman Turkish. There are thuluths on 24, ta'liks on 11, and nesih on 23. It can be determined from the lines and craftsmanship of the surface that it is the stones belonging to the upper level people or their families as a social class in this treasure. However, the simplicity of the stones is proof that it is a modest example that is far from showing, which continues the tradition of making tombstones. Tombstones and cemeteries constiute one of the most important items of the bridge we build with our past and are indispensable cultural heritages. In this article, 63 burials and tombstones of the Ottoman period in Üsküdar Rum Mehmet Paşa Mosque Hazira were documented and tried to be evaluated in terms of art history. The works were photographed and the inscriptions were read, and the titles of the tombstones and the ornamental features of the tombstones were investigated and tried to determine the places in the art of the Turkish tombstone. The presentday proprietors of the aesthetic appearance and important information about professions, titles and beliefs are fascinating examples of the tradition of making tombstones. These stones bearing ethnographic and historical documents in the study will be tried to be explained scientifically and their place in TurkishIslamic art