Origins and symbolism of horse shaped tombstones in Azerbaijan

Abstract

The appearance of tombstones in the form of a horse in Azerbaijan in the Middle Ages is not an accidental, local or short-term phenomenon. These tombstones appeared when the religion of Islam have been preached for a while and had an uncompromising struggle against idolatry. The fact of their appearance in this era testifies to the vitality of the ancient pagan symbolism of the horse in the worldview of the Azerbaijanis. The long-term formation of the symbolism of the horse was facilitated by the fact that the horse always gave its owner food, clothing, strength, wealth, an advantage in speed and overcoming long distances. The horse saved lives, personified the valor of a warrior, the courage and luck of a hunter, was an
attribute of power and being chosen. The cultivation of the symbol of the horse among the Azerbaijanis continued after the adoption of the religion of Islam. This ancient cult led to the widespread use of tombstones in the form of a horse. The simultaneous appearance of such tombstones among many Turkic people suggests that the cult of the horse and its symbolism were universal for all nomadic and semi-nomadic Turkic tribes of the Eurasian continent.