New Ottoman Tombstones and Inscriptions from Izmail Fortress

Abstract

In July-September 2022, during an abnormal drop in the water level of the Danube, near Izmail fortress at the bottom of the river, on a plot of 150-170×10-15 m at a depth of 1 to 1.5 m, local historians accidentally discovered three clusters of artifacts: fragments of marble tombstones, fragments of Ottoman ceramics, forged iron elements of rigging, as well as the remains of the hull of a small wooden sailboat and other finds (intact and fragmented cast iron cannonballs, bombs, and a flintlock pistol), which were more or less evenly scattered over the entire designated area. The purpose of the research paper is to publish and analyze the most interesting and unique complex of artifacts found at the bottom of the river, namely intact and fragmented marble tombstones, both with and without epitaphs. Scientific novelty. In the course of the research, conducted by the expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, it has become possible to expand significantly historical and archaeological knowledge about the history of the Izmail fortress during the late Ottoman period of its existence, mainly in the 18th – early 19th century. Conclusions. Thanks to a rare natural phenomenon and the attentiveness of local historians, the collection of Ottoman tombstones from Izmail is augmented with 10 marble objects all at the same time, on which there are four epitaphs. Although only one of them is dated 1749, which, unfortunately, does not extend the chronology of the known epitaphs of 1719-1756, however, the objects contain other, previously unknown historical information. On two slabs, former military men of the Ottoman Porte are mentioned – the shahid and officer Ismail Aga and the nameless janissary of the 12th Orta. From the inscription on the first of them, we learned about Ismail Aga’s father – Emrullah Çelebi, who could have been a resident of Izmail and a teacher at a local educational institution. We should also mention the slab with the names of God, which could have been the amulet of the only preserved mosque in Izmail.