The motifs of these sciences embodied metaphysical values thought to bring good luck, ward off the evil eye, or work spells, and hence they were used in both secular and sacral architecture and artefacts of all kinds, applied to wood, stone, pottery, fabric, and metal. They also appear on coins, such as those of the Artuklu.

The Artuklu principality ruled over an area of southeastern Turkey which included Hasankeyf, Mardin and Harput from the late 11th century until the 15th century. Their coins show Roman, Byzantine and Islamic influences as well as Turkish, but above all they were influenced by the Seljuks. They produced mainly copper and a small quantity of silver coins.

Their designs include Byzantine style busts with curly hair, angels, two-headed eagles, dragons, the sacred trees deriving from Shamanistic beliefs frequently used by the Seljuks,

So we see that, as illustrated by those of the Artuklu, coins were not merely functional objects of exchange, but reflected concepts of the state, religious beliefs, and culture. They are a valuable source of information for historians and art historians, telling us when particular rulers reigned and the titles they assumed, about economic life, recording names of cities which no longer exist, plants of the time which perhaps are not known today, historical events, and the influences of other civilisations on the art and culture of the people to whom they belonged. In other words these tiny objects are remarkable documents with far more to reveal than meets the eye at first sight.

* Gündegül Parlar, sanat tarihçisi.