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KHAZARIA IMAGE GALLERY
Last Updated: March 3, 2006

Map of the Khazar Empire in the early 10th century.

Map of the Crimean peninsula during the Khazar era.

This 6-letter Khazar runic word means "I have read [it]". It was written
on the bottom of the Kievan
Letter, a document written by the (possibly-Khazar) Jews of Kiev in the
early 10th century. The signatures on the Kievan Letter are of mixed Hebrew (ex:
Yitzhak, Sinai, Yehudah) and Turkic/Slavic (ex: Manas, Gostata) origins,
apparently indicating that the conversion to Judaism in Khazaria extended beyond
just the ruling elite.

These Turkic tribe symbols (called "tamgas") were inscribed on Jewish
stones unearthed at Tmutorokan (Phanagoria). These same stones also depict the
7-branched menorah. (Source: Abraham N. Poliak, Kazariyah: Toldot mamlaxa
yehudit be'europa. Tel Aviv, 1943/1944.)

Engravings resembling the Jewish Star of David were unearthed at two
Khazar sites, one along the Donets River in eastern Ukraine and the other along
the Don River in southern Russia. This one is a circular metal disc, interpreted
by Professor Bozena Werbart of Umea University as Jewish but seen by others as
shamanistic or pagan. The circular nature of the disc may represent the sun, and
the 6 points may represent rays of the sun. Scholars lean towards assigning the
disc to Tengri shamanism due to the fact that there are also known examples of
Khazarian sun discs with 5 or 7 points, rather than consistently 6. Some of the
Jewish-Turkic graves at Chelarevo in what used to be Hungary contain engravings
of the Star of David and are believed to belong to Khazar Kabar migrants.
However, the claim that the Star of David first became a symbol of Jewish
nationalism in Khazaria is by no means certain.

Amulets unearthed at cemeteries in the Khazar Empire.

This is the uppermost part of a Khazarian scoop (dipper) manufactured from
silver in the 8th or 9th century and discovered at the town of Kotsk in western
Siberia. It depicts a Turkic wrestling motif. (Source: Stepi Evrazii v epokhu
srednevekov'ia. Moscow: Nauka, 1981, page 163.)

These horn plates from near Shilovka portray traditional Khazarian themes
such as war and hunting. Among the animals portrayed are horses, rabbits,
dragons, and a bear. (Source: Svetlana A. Pletnyova, Ocherki Khazarskoy
Arkheologii. Moscow: Gesharim, 1999, figure 119.)

Photographs of pieces of Khazar silver belts. (Source: A. A. Ivanov, V. P.
Kopilov, and S. A. Naumenko, "Poyasnie narodi iz kurganov khazarskogo vremeni
mezhdurech'ya Dona i Sala" in Donskaya Arkheologiya No. 1(6) (2000),
plates between pages 56 and 57 with relation to the article on pages 81-90.) Here are more
photos of the belts.

Imitation
9th-century Khazar Jewish coin reading "Moses is the messenger of God",
discovered by numismatist Gert Rispling in a Viking treasure from Gotland,
Sweden

Hermitage
Museum exhibit on artifacts (farming tools, fishing tools, pottery, etc.) from a
Khazar castle along the Don

History
in Fragments: A Genizah Centenary Exhibition - includes photos of the
Schechter Letter

The Khazar Fortress of
Sarkel - many more images are stored and linked
here

The Khazar-Era Fortress
of Golden Hills - many more images are stored and
linked here

An Introduction to the
History of Khazaria

Bibliography of
Khazar Studies 1901-Present

Medieval Quotes About
Khazar Judaism

Current Issues in
Khazar Studies

Are Russian Jews
Descended from the Khazars?

Khazaria.com Homepage

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