Issued as part of Turkey's ongoing commemorative silver program, this piece honors the Seljuq funerary towers of Anatolia — the kümbets — which survive in significant numbers across eastern Turkey, particularly around Kayseri and Ahlat. The Seljuqs ruled Anatolia from the late eleventh century until Mongol pressure fragmented their authority in the 1240s, and their architectural output during that window was extraordinary by any measure.
The 40 Yeni Lira denomination was specific to Turkey's commemorative series of the mid-2000s, before the currency was redenominated to simply "Lira" in 2009.
Issued as part of Turkey's ongoing commemorative silver program, this piece honors the Seljuq funerary towers of Anatolia — the kümbets — which survive in significant numbers across eastern Turkey, particularly around Kayseri and Ahlat. The Seljuqs ruled Anatolia from the late eleventh century until Mongol pressure fragmented their authority in the 1240s, and their architectural output during that window was extraordinary by any measure.
The 40 Yeni Lira denomination was specific to Turkey's commemorative series of the mid-2000s, before the currency was redenominated to simply "Lira" in 2009.