Traditional Ahlat Stonework is the knowledge, methods, skills and aesthetic understanding, transmitted from generation to generation for centuries and based on the extraction of volcanic Ahlat stone from the quarries around Ahlat by the stone miners, shaping and ornamenting of the Ahlat stone by stone carvers, and constructing structure and creating artefacts by the practitioners of the element.

Ahlat Stone is a volcanic stone extracted by traditional methods from the foothills of the Mountain Nemrut located near Ahlat, district of Bitlis province. Stones are extracted from quarries through the "nailing technique" which has been used for centuries. In this technique, the iron wedges are hammered into the rock mass in a straight line and the rock mass is extracted in the desired size and removed as a block. Folk calendar and traditional knowledge of nature have important roles in the extraction of the stone by the stone miners.

Ahlat stone has several natural colours like red, black, grey, white and ash. The extracted stone is initially easy to carve but becomes tough overtime. So, it is cut and shaped then ornamented by stone carvers with hand-tools without much delay. The ornamentation on Ahlat stone is formed by scraping, relief and carving techniques. Generally, vegetal, geometric and calligraphic motifs are applied on the stones that reveal a certain aesthetic understanding transmitted from generation to generation. Building a structure by using Ahlat stone requires special technique and knowledge. The construction of the buildings starts and ends in periods determined according to the traditional folk calendar. Besides the architectural works such as houses, mosques, mausoleums and bridges; the stones are also used in tombstones, inscriptions, fountains and in various artefacts.

Traditional knowledge, skills, and practice related to the element is transmitted by the relationship of master-apprentices. Non-formal education is also used to transmit the element to the new generation in recent years. Master of Ahlat Stonework Tahsin Kalender, who registered as a Living Human Treasure in 2012 and died on 26.11.2020 at the age of 92, played an important role in the transmission of the element to the next generations. Kalender trained many apprentices and he contributed to raising awareness on the element among the young generations.