Examples of Ottoman period seals found in museums of the Southeastern Anatolia Region

The seal is an object that has been used as a symbol of ownership, property and sovereignty from archaeological times to the present day. In archaeological times, it was used to determine who owned objects, foodstuffs and other products. Seals, which have continued to evolve over time, come in different forms and with different decorative elements. Seals, which appeared in Anatolia in the form of stamps and cylinders, underwent changes until the Ottoman Empire period and began to be used as rings by many state administrators. Many people, especially Ottoman sultans, their families and administrators, had ring seals engraved in their own names or for use in state affairs. Ring seals were used until the final period of the Ottoman Empire. Although the use of ring-shaped seals continued during the Ottoman period, they eventually gave way to seal rings. Seals became masterpieces in the hands of skilled craftsmen during the Ottoman period. The seals of Ottoman sultans and high-ranking officials that have survived to this day were crafted by important engravers. When engravers began their careers, they did not only learn the art of engraving. They also received training in calligraphy, decorative arts, and literature. Seals, which held an important place in the 19th and 20th centuries, lost their significance after the proclamation of the Republic with the transition to the Latin alphabet, and this art form lost its former importance. In a thesis on Ottoman-era seals, Ottoman and Republican-era seals found in museums in the Southeast Anatolia Region were examined. Although there are many museums in the Southeast Anatolia Region, only seven museums were found to have Ottoman-era seals in their inventory records. These museums are the Adıyaman Museum, the Diyarbakır Archaeology Museum, the Gaziantep Mevlevihanesi Foundation Museum, the Gaziantep Zeugma Museum, the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum, the Mardin Museum, and the Mardin Sakıp Sabancı City Museum. The seals found in the museums under evaluation date from the 18th to the 20th centuries. These seal examples, categorised as official (institutional), personal (individual), foundation, and talisman seals, have been examined in detail. Detailed research has been conducted on the period to which they belong, the materials used in their manufacture, their form, areas of use, decorative features, manufacturing techniques, and types of writing. In particular, the regional names on official (institutional) seals found in museums have been identified and documented in terms of their current provincial or district boundaries. In the evaluation and comparison sections, as well as the conclusion section of the thesis, the seals have been examined in detail and compared with seal examples from previous scientific studies.