The Amasya Mummies in Amasya, Turkey

Amasya Archaeology Museum displays six remarkably preserved bodies from the 14th-century Ilkhanid period. They are identified as Şehzade Cumudar, the Anatolian nâzır; the emir of Amasya, İşbuğa Noyan; the statesman İzzettin Mehmet Pervane Bey; his wife; and their two children.

Cumudur's titles reveal both status and heritage. Nâzır refers to a high-ranking administrative authority, similar to a regional minister overseeing Anatolia, while şehzade indicates he came from a royal lineage.

Noyan held a powerful political and military role. Noyan was a Mongol-Turkic title used for commanders. As the emir of Amasya, he served as both the city’s administrative ruler and its chief military leader. These prominent positions help explain why their deaths may have been politically motivated.

Research suggests that while the children likely died of illness, Cumudar and İşbuğa may have died by strangulation or hanging, indicating they could have been victims of internal political conflict. Many visitors are particularly struck by how well-preserved the mummies are, especially the children, whose features appear astonishingly lifelike, offering an intimate glimpse into a world seven centuries past.

What makes this collection even more unique is that, unlike Egyptian mummies, these individuals were preserved using a regional method without the removal of internal organs, making them rare examples of Turkish and Muslim mummification. The museum also presents interpretive reconstructions of how the individuals might have looked in life, creating a vivid and personal bridge to their story.

Amasya Museum is an unmissable stop for anyone wishing to come face-to-face with some of Anatolia’s most intriguing historic mummies.