Muslim necropolis of XVII-XIX centuries near the Toms

The article presents research materials of the two historical Muslim cemeteries of XVII-XIX centuries in the suburbs of the city Tomsk - Old Muslim Cemetery and the Cemetery on the Yurt Mountain. For the first time, A.P. Dulzons’ field diaries introduced into scientific circulation., containing important information about the Muslim funeral rites. The burial rites is analyzed, also chronology of the cemeteries is refined. The authors came to the conclusion that the burial rites are fully met the Muslim canon. The paper analyzes funeral rites of two Tomsk necropolises - the Old Muslim Cemetery and the Cemetery on the Yurtochnaya Mountain. By now, these historical cemeteries have been completely destroyed by the urban development. The paper analyzes the Muslim burial grounds on the Yurtochnaya Mountain investigated by S.M. Chugunov in 1898. The dating of necropolises is based on historical maps, numismatic materials, and written sources. The Tomsk Muslim Cemetery was established in the early XVIII century. At the same time, the Tatarskaya Sloboda - the special historical district of Muslims in the neighborhood of Tomsk - was established. The Tomsk Muslim Cemetery was located on the eastern margin of Tatarskaya Sloboda. It existed until 1892 and was closed when places for new graves were not available anymore. Based on archaeological sources, it was concluded that the funeral rite of these Muslim necropolises was markedly different from the rite of the Tomsk Tatars of the previous period (XVI-XVII centuries). The occurrence of the funeral rites in strict compliance with the Muslim canon is associated with the migrations of the Kazan Tatars and the Bukharans. The Yurtochnaya Mountain and the Tatarskaya Sloboda are the first historical districts of Muslims. Taking into account that the Islam penetrated into the culture of the Tomsk Tatars in the XVII-XVIII centuries, the Muslim necropolises could be abandoned both by the Tatar migrants and local Tomsk Muslims. In the XVIII century they lived together in the neighborhood of Tomsk, which is well supported by evidence. The close cultural contacts, the similar languages and the shared territory facilitated the rapid propagation of the new religious doctrine into the community of the Tomsk Tatars.

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