Who Were the Artuqids?

The Artuqids were a Turkic dynasty that ruled portions of southeastern Anatolia and northern Mesopotamia from the late eleventh through the early fifteenth century. The dynasty was founded by Artuq Bey, a military commander who served the Seljuk Turks during the turbulent years following the Battle of Manzikert in 1071. Over time, the Artuqids established several branches.

Among these, the rulers of Mardin produced the most famous and innovative coinage. Situated at a crossroads between the Byzantine, Islamic, Armenian, and Crusader worlds, Mardin became a melting pot of cultures. Its rulers interacted with Christian kingdoms, Muslim neighbors, Armenian communities, and remnants of the Byzantine world, and their coinage reflects this remarkable blend of influences.

Why Did the Artuqids Use Images?

This is the question every collector asks. Why would an Islamic dynasty place human figures and ancient imagery on its coins? The answer is that medieval Islamic attitudes toward images were often more complex than modern assumptions suggest. While many Islamic dynasties preferred purely epigraphic coinage, others occasionally used figural imagery, especially in frontier regions where multiple cultures interacted.

The Artuqids ruled one of those frontiers. Their coin designs were not attempts to revive pagan beliefs. Instead, they borrowed familiar and respected imagery that local populations already recognized, adapting artistic traditions that had circulated throughout the region for centuries. The result was a uniquely medieval fusion of Islamic authority and classical artistic traditions. No other Islamic dynasty embraced this approach quite as enthusiastically as the Artuqids of Mardin.

Why Did Ancient Images Survive?

One of the great mysteries of Artuqid coinage is how ancient designs survived for so long. The answer is that the medieval Near East was filled with echoes of the classical world. Ancient coins, engraved gems, seals, metalwork, manuscripts, and decorative arts preserved images that artists could continue to copy and reinterpret centuries later.

The Artuqids were not necessarily copying ancient coins directly from museum-like collections. Rather, they inherited a visual culture in which classical imagery had never completely disappeared. Instead of preserving these designs unchanged, Artuqid engravers transformed them into something entirely new, creating one of the most creative artistic traditions of the medieval world.

The Great Types of Mardin

The creativity of Artuqid engravers is best understood through the individual types they produced, each one drawing on a different ancient source and transforming it into a medieval Islamic coin.

The Heraclius Type

Among the most famous Artuqid coins are those derived from Byzantine coinage of Emperor Heraclius. The original seventh-century Byzantine issues showed Heraclius standing alongside his sons. Several Artuqid rulers adapted this imagery centuries later. The figures remain unmistakably Byzantine in origin, but the inscriptions were transformed into Arabic and incorporated into an Islamic political context. A coin struck by a Muslim ruler in twelfth-century Anatolia was using imagery originally created for a Christian Byzantine emperor more than five hundred years earlier. These are often the first Artuqid coins that attract new collectors.

The Antiochus VII Type

Perhaps no Artuqid coin causes more confusion than the famous Antiochus type. These coins borrow the portrait of the Seleucid king Antiochus VII Sidetes, who ruled during the second century BC. The original portrait had been created nearly 1,300 years before the Artuqids copied it, yet the image was so powerful and visually appealing that it survived through centuries of local artistic tradition. To a modern collector it feels almost surreal: a medieval Islamic ruler effectively striking a coin featuring a Hellenistic royal portrait. The result is one of the most beautiful and sought-after types in the entire series.

Roman-Inspired Portraits

Several Artuqid issues feature portraits that strongly resemble early Roman imperial coinage. In some cases the exact prototype remains uncertain, and the designs may have passed through generations of artistic transmission before reaching Artuqid engravers. What is clear is the influence of Roman portraiture. The carefully rendered facial features, bust formats, and classical style would have been immediately familiar to anyone who studies Roman coins today, showing how deeply classical traditions remained embedded in the region long after the fall of Rome.

The "Nero" Type

One of the most intriguing portrait types is often compared by collectors to the coinage of Nero. Whether the engravers were consciously copying Nero himself or a later derivative of Roman portraiture remains debated, but the Roman influence is unmistakable. Collectors are often amazed to discover that a medieval Islamic coin can trace its artistic ancestry back to imagery associated with the Roman Empire. It is precisely this unexpected connection that makes Artuqid coinage so enjoyable to study.

Gemini and the Zodiac Series

The Artuqids also produced some of the most fascinating zodiac coins of the medieval world. Among the most famous is the Gemini type, depicting the twin figures associated with the zodiac sign and demonstrating the dynasty's willingness to incorporate astronomical and astrological imagery into its coinage. For many collectors, the Gemini type serves as an introduction to the entire series: visually striking, historically unusual, and unlike almost anything else found in medieval numismatics. Few medieval rulers placed the heavens themselves on their money.

The Sheer Variety

The creativity of Artuqid engravers did not stop with Heraclius, Antiochus VII, or Gemini. The range of imagery across the series is extraordinary.

The sheer variety is remarkable. No two collections of Artuqid coins ever look quite the same.

Why Collectors Love Them

Artuqid coins occupy a unique place in numismatics because they sit at the meeting point of so many collecting interests.

Few coin series cross so many collecting interests, and fewer still remain so affordable.

Many collectors spend years chasing Greek portrait tetradrachms, Roman silver, or Byzantine rarities. Artuqid bronzes often provide equally fascinating imagery for a fraction of the cost. For collectors seeking something unusual, few series offer more value.

Scarcity and Availability

Most collectors begin with the bronze issues of Mardin. These are the most affordable and widely available examples. Certain portrait types, zodiac issues, and particularly artistic varieties command strong premiums, especially in high grades.

Even so, Artuqid coinage remains remarkably accessible compared to many ancient and medieval series. That accessibility allows collectors to build meaningful collections without requiring enormous budgets, which is a large part of why the series has steadily grown in popularity.

Legacy

The coins of the Artuqids of Mardin are reminders that history is rarely as simple as we imagine. They were struck by Muslim rulers, yet often display imagery inspired by Byzantine, Roman, Greek, and Near Eastern traditions. They were produced in the Middle Ages, yet frequently look ancient. They borrowed from the past while creating something entirely new.

More than eight centuries later, they remain among the most creative and fascinating coins ever struck. For collectors, they offer an opportunity to own a small piece of a world where civilizations met, exchanged ideas, and transformed one another. And that is precisely what makes Artuqid coinage so remarkable.

History wasn't just written. It was minted.