An Evaluation on Anatolian Seljuks Coins with Cavalry Depictions: Examples from Bursa Archeology Museum

Abstract

The cavalry depiction was used by many societies for centuries for its symbolic narrative of power and authority. Due to their nomadic lifestyle and reverence for horsemanship, Turks were particularly drawn to portraying cavalry. This situation is also seen in the coins minted by the sultans and maliks in the Anatolian Seljuks period, when the struggle for the throne was intense. They wanted to convey their messages directly to their rivals by including the composition on the coins they minted. In our study, coins depicting cavalrymen minted during the Anatolian Seljuks period registered in the inventory of Bursa Archaeology Museum were examined and 37 coins were identified. One is made of silver, the others are made of copper. The dates 595 AH and 646 AH were detected on 4 of the coins. The inscription lines include the names of sultans and maliks Kilij Arslan II, Qutb al-Din Malik Shah, Muizz al-Din Kaiser Shah, Ghiyath al-Din Kaykhusraw I, Rukn al-Din Suleiman Shah II, Ala al-Din Kay-Qubad I and Rukn al-Din Qilij Arslan IV. The minting locations are Sivas and Malatya. The coins are decorated with figural, geometric, floral elements. The cavalryman depicted on all coins is in motion with his horse and holding a weapon in one hand. Our study aims at determining the place of this group in Turkish art with reference to Anatolian Seljuks coins depicting cavalrymen registered in the inventory of Bursa Archaeological Museum. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.