Archaeologists excavating the historic Gevas Seljuk Cemetery in Van have uncovered a series of 700-year-old tombstones adorned with intricate carvings, including rare depictions of Cevgan — the ancient equestrian game known as the “Game of Kings”.

Experts say the finds, made during restoration work, offer unprecedented insights into the cultural identity, social practices, and martial traditions of early Turkic Islamic Anatolia.

Associate Professor Ercan Calis from Van Yuzuncu Yil University and director of the ongoing Gevas Seljuk graveyard excavations, describes the discovery as “a remarkable milestone” in understanding Seljuk-era heritage.

“The tombstones, as significant tangible cultural heritage, serve not only as monuments but also as symbols of a nation's identity,” he tells TRT World, adding that the cemetery represents an essential component of Anatolia’s Turkish-Islamic cultural heritage.

“The rich decorative inscriptions carved onto the tombstones within the cemetery stand out as a remarkable testimony to early Turkish-Islamic art.”

A visual chronicle in stone

Among the remarkable motifs are exquisite geometric and vegetal patterns, alongside raised medallions, rosettes, gulbezek designs, carkifelek (wheel-of-fortune), and depictions of lamps and candlesticks, according to Dr Calis.

“Furthermore, motifs of Cevgan — an early polo-like equestrian game — appear alongside bow-and-arrow engravings, symbolising both cultural continuity and artistic sophistication.”

One of the most notable examples of this discovery is a tombstone sarcophagus, crafted from white limestone and restored last year.

“On the southern facade, several finely executed carvings survive. To the west, a Cevgan motif is engraved using the incising technique, while on the eastern side, a bow-and-arrow motif appears, Dr Calis tells TRT World. 

“Beneath the Cevgan depiction lies a delicate gulbezek motif, while above it, an intricate geometric interlacing pattern is visible.” 

The Cevgan motif is a significant part of Anatolia’s Turkish-Islamic cultural heritage, according to Dr Calis, as during the Seljuk period, Cevgan was a widely practised sport, enjoyed by both ordinary people and sultans. 

It involved striking a ball on horseback using curved sticks, symbolising skill, elegance, and bravery. 

“This motif, frequently used in Turkish art, eventually travelled westward and evolved into the modern polo emblem recognised today,” he says.  Adjacent to this, a bow-and-arrow motif suggests a personal story about the deceased, he explains. 

“It is believed that this design was intentionally carved to emphasise that the individual buried here was also a highly skilled archer, reflecting his personal valour and social standing.”

An ancient game across civilisations

Rooted deep in Central Asian Turkic culture, Cevgan — known as “cogen” in the 11th-century lexicon Divanu Lugati’t-Turk — was far more than a pastime. 

First immortalised by the Persian poet Ferdowsi in his Shahnameh (the longest poem ever written by a single author), the sport symbolised discipline and elite mastery among Turkic warriors and statesmen.

Players, mounted on powerful horses, used curved wooden mallets to strike a leather or wooden ball, driving it skillfully toward the opposing goal. Historical texts reveal that Cevgan was central to warrior preparation, retaining agility, precision, and teamwork — qualities central to Turkic identity.

“Today, traditional sports such as mounted archery, archery, javelin (cirit), kokboru, and Cevgan are attracting increasing attention for their deep historical and cultural roots,” Dr Hasan Sahinturk, Director of the Archery Research Institute at the Okcular Foundation, tells TRT World.

In the context of Central Asian Turkic life, these practices held profound significance.

More than entertainment, these were vital exercises for maintaining and sharpening the martial abilities of Turkic communities.

From an early age, Turks were trained in horsemanship, archery, and strategy, embedding martial excellence into daily life, according to Dr Sahinturk. 

“Wherever they founded cities, they deliberately established okmeydanlari — archery grounds and training fields — to preserve and refine these traditions,” he says.

“Alongside these, they created open fields for horseback games such as cirit, kokboru, and, most notably, Cevgan — widely recognised today as the ancestor of modern polo.”

From battlefields to royal courts

Experts tell TRT World that Cevgan was widely played among the earliest Turkic communities, spanning the periods of the Ghaznavids, Karakhanids, and Seljuks.

A striking episode in the Shahnameh recounts how, around 700 BCE, a dispute between the Turkic ruler Afrasiab and the Persians was resolved not by swords, arrows, or maces — but through a game of Cevgan.

From the windswept steppes of Central Asia, the sport spread westward into Byzantine territories and Anatolia, even finding a lyrical home in the works of poet and philosopher Yunus Emre in Turkish literature. 

In Kutadgu Bilig (an ancient literature) written in 1069, Yusuf Has Hacib described mastery of Cevgan as a mark of statesmanship, while the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius had a dedicated Cevgan field built before his palace.

Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad famously played Cevgan with his soldiers along the Mediterranean coast, according to the Selcukname. 

Centuries later, the Mughals introduced it to India, where it flourished in imperial courts before eventually inspiring the modern game of polo.

A 19th-century transformation

Cevgan’s influence spread further in 1857, when British officer Joseph Sherer encountered locals playing the game in India. 

Enthralled, Sherer founded the world’s first polo club, introducing the sport to Europe and eventually securing its place on the global stage, including the Olympic Games.

While polo flourished internationally, Cevgan retained cultural significance across the Turkic world. Today, it enjoys a state-supported revival in Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Iran, with UNESCO inscribing Cevgan onto its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017, formally recognising it as the ancestor of polo.

The World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC), founded in 2015 and based in Istanbul, says in a statement to TRT World that the sport is played annually in festivals to promote traditional sports and games, in collaboration with the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation, to support the recognition and practice of Cevgan across different regions.

“Within this framework, the Turkish Traditional Equestrian Sports Federation and the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation, under the umbrella of the World Ethnosport Confederation, are planning joint projects aimed at popularising Cevgan in Türkiye.”

A living heritage

While modern polo dominates international arenas, Cevgan continues to survive — not as a relic, but as a living tradition. In Azerbaijan, annual tournaments draw thousands, blending ancient customs with contemporary sportsmanship.

For many Turkic communities, the game remains a testament to resilience. 

“Cevgan is part of who we are and a reflection of the Turkic peoples’ way of life, their strategic brilliance and their enduring spirit of mobility and mastery.” says Dr Sahinturk.

Archaeological implications

The discovery of Cevgan with arrow and bow motifs provides rare insights into the social identity, values, and artistry of medieval Turkic communities. 

The carving link illustrates how martial skill and cultural pride were intricately woven into funerary art.

“Each stone is like a page of lost history,” Dr Calis tells TRT World.

“These carvings bridge manuscripts and material culture, revealing how Cevgan shaped identity, diplomacy, and art for centuries.”