The Forgotten Christian-Turkic Mummies of Aksaray: Why is there a 1,000-year-old mummified cat?

Most people think of Egypt when they hear "mummies," but there’s a much more obscure and fascinating collection in Aksaray, Turkey (located in the historic Cappadocia region). In the Aksaray Museum, there is a dedicated section for 13 mummies dating back to the 10th-12th centuries.

What makes this "High Strangeness" is the cultural bridge they represent. These are Byzantine-era Christians, yet they were preserved using ancient Turkic (Central Asian) techniques—a literal physical preservation of a cultural transition.

The Technical Details: Unlike the Egyptian method, the internal organs here were removed and the body was coated in a layer of melted beeswax. This created a seal that preserved everything from hair to the delicate teeth of children. The volcanic tuff caves of the Ihlara Valley provided the perfect microclimate to keep these bodies intact for a millennium.

The Standouts:

1. The Baby Mummy: Found in the "Church with Bell" (Çanlı Kilise), this infant is still wearing its original silk embroidered clothes and tiny slippers. It’s a vivid, haunting look into the 12th century.
2. The Cat Mummy: This is the most discussed piece. Animal mummification is extremely rare in Christian Anatolia. The leading theory is that the cat was so beloved by its owner that they used the expensive beeswax process to preserve it—just like a human.

If you ever visit the Cappadocia region, make sure to stop by the Aksaray Museum to see these silent witnesses. They look like they are just waiting to wake up.

Image Credit: IHA (Ihlas News Agency)