Tombs of the Lycian kings. Lycian tombs in Fethiye - how to get there and what is hidden inside the tomb. Kaya city of the dead

Turkey amazes with its historical and cultural monuments. Here are the ruins of Troy, sung by Homer, the palace in Ephesus, the rocky city of Cappadocia. There are Lycian tombs in Turkey. They are known all over the world for legends, beauty, uniqueness.

Lycian tombs, description and where they are on the map of Turkey

Where today the provinces of Mugla and Antalya are located, the state of Lycia lived and flourished two thousand years ago. It is known for its original writing, language, architecture and cultural heritage.

The fertile land, located in the valley of the Xanthus River, attracted neighboring states with its wealth, nature and beauty. It was conquered by the Persians, annexed to his power by Alexander the Great, captured by the troops of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine rulers.

In the 11th century. n. e. Lycia fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire and is still under Turkish rule.

Interesting! One of the curious aspects of the life of the Lycians was the belief that the souls of dead people turn into creatures that can fly.

To facilitate the path to heaven, the bodies to which they belonged to death were buried high in the rocks, closer to the gods. Some were placed vertically, believing that this would make it possible to get to heaven faster.

Rocks with tombs are all along the coast. In total, there are over a thousand necropolises. The largest is located in the ancient city of Mira, called the City of the Dead. The complex of tombs dates back to the 6th century. BC.

The tombs of noble and wealthy people were located near the peaks.

Rock tombs

The buildings that make up the ensemble differ in architecture. Some tombs are built as separate structures, in the form of temples. They are called Tapinak. They were created on a square foundation with columns at the corners. A burial room was built above them. The façade usually had carvings that mimic the roof. The portico above the entrance, covering its stone, was decorated with drawings from the life of the living and the dead. By the clothes of the drawn one could learn about his profession.

• Some of the graves were carved in stone, they are called Kaya.
• The tombs differed in size. One would think that the more spacious ones belonged to the wealthy. Indeed, this is so, but the size of the building was also associated with historical stages. Before the arrival of the Roman Empire, the tombs were large. After the incorporation of Lycia into the Empire, they became smaller.
• Some tombs have ancient Greek, ancient Roman columns. Remains of bas-reliefs and inscriptions in the Lycian language have been preserved on the walls. The significance of many of them is unknown today. An example of a well-preserved necropolis with a portico carved into the rock and two columns made in the Ionian style is the Amyntas tomb. On the wall is written in Greek: "Amyntas son of Hermagios."
• Some of the tombs resemble the dwellings in which the ancient Lycians lived. They are called so - "Houses". The only difference is that the living built themselves wooden houses, the dead - stone ones. Some of the rock rooms were two-story.
• Steps are carved in the stone, along which earlier it was easy to get to any tomb. But mudflows, earthquakes, time did their job, and ruins remained from the steps.
• The sarcophagi of the poor, "Dakhit", huddled at the foot. They are chambers with a base and a cover. Some were decorated with bas-reliefs, others did not have insignia, symbols, ornaments.

According to scientists, the fact that the Lycian tombs were made of stone played an important role in ensuring their safety. They were looted inside, but the ensemble and its structure remained intact enough for the buildings to survive to this day.

Interesting! In order to save the burial place from looting, in the immediate vicinity of the grave, a note was placed with the promise of curses to the one who dares to disturb the peace of the dead. The burials were carefully guarded by all relatives. For desecration they took a fine.

Greece landmark

Historical facts about the Lycian tombs

There are more than a thousand tombs in total. Most of them are located in the area of \u200b\u200bMira, in Antalya, next to the modern city of Demre (name before 2005 - Kale) to the north of the Church of St. Nicholas. Myra was the capital of the Lycian kingdom. The exact date of its foundation is unknown.

It is believed that the city was called "Maura". From Etruscan the name is translated as "the city of the Mother Goddess". The name sounded like "Mura", later they began to call him Mira.

The second option is associated with the word "myrrh", which means resin for the manufacture of church incense.

Greek mythology did not stand aside either. The goddess Lethe, the ex-wife of Zeus, was hiding from the persecution of the jealous Hera. In secret from the latter, she gave birth to Apollo and Artemis. After giving birth, she needed to drink clean water, wash, the wolves helped her find the Xanthos River. And in gratitude, the goddess named this place Lycia from the word "lycos" - "wolf".

In the 18th century. due to strong earthquakes, the city was hidden by mudflows and disappeared from the surface. Remained an ancient amphitheater, the Lycian necropolis.

Excursion walks

The tombs were carved into soft rocks. This explains their occurrence.

An excursion to the tombs is included in the Demre - Myra - Kekova tour. Tourists can visit the Lycian burials, the temple of St. Nicholas (Nicholas the Pleasant), the amphitheater that has survived to this day, the islet of Kekova. There used to be a city of the same name on the island, but after a powerful earthquake it sank.

Opposite Kekova there is the village of Simen, here is a fortress and the smallest Roman theater. It is believed to have accommodated no more than 400 people.

Tours are sold in hotels, tourist centers, on specialized sites.

For reference! The cost of an organized bus trip to the Lycian Tombs depends on the place of departure. For example, from the famous tourist center of Kemer, it will be 35 * US dollars for an adult and 20 * for a child from seven to twelve years old.

Opening hours. Visit cost

Lycian tombs are open all year round. In summer, the opening hours are from 9 am to 7 pm. From November to March, the museum is open from 8 am to 5 pm.

The ticket price for the tombs is 15 liras *. At the current exchange rate, this is slightly more than 160 rubles *. The entrance to the tombs themselves is closed.

Lycian sarcophagi

How to get to the tombs on your own - route on the map

The Lycian Tombs can be reached by car along the D400. The distance on the map is 142 km from Antalya and 45 km from Kas. Nearby are the cities of Olympos, Finike, Kalkan. The coordinates of this place are 36.25883,29.99432. If you are driving from Kemer, then at the entrance to the city of Demre, you need to turn where there is a sign for Myra. The name of another attraction is written on the same sign - Noel Baba. This is the Church of St. Nicholas (Nicholas the Pleasant).

At the next roundabout, the signs are already separated and you need to go exactly towards Myra. the distance between Mira and the tomb is one and a half kilometers.

The cost of the car ride to the tombs is calculated as daily rent plus gasoline. On average, the price of a car will vary depending on the class, year of production, capacity, type of gearbox. The average is between 20 and 50 euros *.

Important: A self-guided tour of the tombs can also be arranged by bus. Demre can be reached from Fethiye. The ticket costs 30 Turkish Lira *. Fethiye can be reached from any major city on the coast, including Antalya. Ticket price - 30-33 lira *.

Regardless of how a person goes to the Lycian tombs, by bus, taxi or on foot, in addition to tickets, he needs to pay for a visit to the museum.

The amazing combination of architectural structures representing tombs fills with a sense of the inviolability of life and history. The necropolises created in the rocks, carved out of stone, give a sense of the brevity of the moment given to man.

* Prices are valid for September 2018

Lycian tombs - These are ancient tombs preserved in the rocks in the city of Demre in Turkey, on the territory of the ancient city of Mira.

Description of the Lycian tombs

The Lycian rock tombs in the city of Demre in Turkey are considered one of the most interesting of all the other burials in the territory of today's Turkey.

They date back to the 6th century BC. and represent an almost exact reproduction of antique dwellings of that era. By themselves, the Lycian tombs in Demre consist of one or more chamber-rooms in which the deceased are buried on a stone podium, as expected - with decorations, clothing and food. Rock tombs in Mir have only one entrance, which was locked with a large stone. Nowadays, almost all of them are looted and gaped with open holes. The Lycians believed that the higher the tomb was made in terms of the height of its location in the mountains, the more the deceased became closer to the Gods.

The windows and doors in front of the tombs are decorated with images from the lives of the dead.

The most famous is the tomb of Amyntas, which is a platform with a portico carved into the rock and two Ionic columns. On the wall of the tomb there is an inscription in Greek “Amyntas son of Hermagios”.

The largest and most mysterious tombs in the world

The largest tomb

The largest (in area) burial of one person is, oddly enough, in Japan, where every square meter of land is worth its weight in gold. This is the tomb of a 4th century AD. e. Emperor Nintoku. The grave complex is located in the city of Sakai, near Osaka. Its total area is 46 hectares. The grave itself is a 33-meter-high, keyhole-shaped mound surrounded by water on all sides.

Interestingly, if the ancient royal graves, for example, in Egypt and Mesopotamia, have long been dug by curious European scientists, then in Japan they are considered private burials, albeit very ancient. Neither our own nor foreign archaeologists are allowed there.

Lycian tombs

Mira is the ancient capital of the Lycian kingdom. The exact date when the city was founded has not survived, but according to some sources it already existed in the 5th century BC.

The City of Peace is known primarily among believers. All thanks to the fact that in the three hundredth year none other than Nicholas of Patara, who later became known as Nicholas the Wonderworker, became the bishop of Myra. He lived and preached in this city until his death.

Here is the so-called necropolis carved into the rocks. Unusually, the tombs themselves are located high above the ground. It was believed that the higher the tomb to heaven, the higher to the deity, so the tallest tombs belonged to the most noble people of that time. After death, the soul of a person acquires wings and soars into the heavens. This arrangement of the tombs was intended to make it easier for the soul to "start" into eternity. Local guides also claim that the higher the tomb is, the more powerful a person was during his lifetime.

Tomb of Philip II

At the foot of the Pierian Mountains in Macedonia, near the Vergina area, archaeologists have discovered several tombs.

A sarcophagus was found in the tomb, in which the richly decorated with gold and purple clothing was partially preserved. Ceramics made it possible to establish that the burial was made in the middle of the 4th century. BC It is very likely that researchers have identified the grave of Philip II and one of his wives (possibly Cleopatra). The location of Vergina corresponds to the location of the former Macedonian capital of Aegi, where the royal burials were located. Numerous ivory figurines depicted members of the royal family.

Excavations at Vergina have revealed the location of Aegus, one of the oldest capitals in Macedonia. It was in this city that the kings of the Argead dynasty and the offspring of the royal house were traditionally buried. The heir was to accompany the funeral cortege and supervise the funeral ceremonies. This, for example, was the first debt of Alexander III in relation to his father Philip II.

Tomb of King Tutta

The tomb of Tutankhamun has kept its secrets in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings for more than three thousand years.

Thanks to the excavations, people got the opportunity to be convinced of the complexity and splendor of the ancient Egyptian funeral rite, the idea of \u200b\u200bthe scale of the state cult of the pharaoh and the Egyptian funeral ritual was replenished.

However, this find also gave rise to many mysteries and questions.

Already at the first stage of research, the legend of the "curse of the pharaoh" appeared. Some time after the discovery, G. Carter found a clay tablet in the tomb, which said that over anyone who dares to disturb the peace of the Pharaoh, death will spread its wings.

In addition to this message, two bodies were found. The first is a mummy, and the second is a robber. At that moment, when the thief reached out to the treasure, a stone fell on him from the ceiling.

The curse came into effect on 5 April 1923, the explorer of the tomb, Lord Carnarvon, died. Other deaths followed, no less mysterious. Soon, one after another, the Lord's wife, his half-brother, the woman caring for him, the doctor who took x-rays of the mummy and other people who had a direct or even indirect relationship to the discovery, suddenly passed away.

By 1930, of all the witnesses, only Carter remained alive - Carnavon's companion in the excavation, who until the end of his life refused to believe in the curse.

Terracotta Army

The legendary army, called Terracotta (after the material from which the statues are made), was accidentally discovered by Chinese peasants in March 1974 during the construction of a local irrigation system. The total number of soldiers, according to various estimates, is from 7 to 9 thousand. Each of them is made of clay, fired, coated with a special organic compound and painted. The weight of a warrior is about 135 kilograms, a horse is about 200.

The terracotta army, buried (210-209 BC) together with its ruler Qin Shi Huang Ti, the first emperor of feudal China, should probably have provided him with the opportunity to satisfy his power habits in the other world, just as he did in life.

And although instead of living warriors, contrary to the usual tradition, their clay copies were buried together with the emperor, which is regarded by some specialists as a very progressive step, one should not forget that, in addition to the statues of warriors, according to various estimates, up to 70 thousand workers were buried along with their families, as well as about three thousand concubines. And these people, unlike the soldiers, were quite real.

Lycia - in the 1st millennium BC, a highly developed state in the south of Asia Minor, located on the territory of the modern province of Turkey - Antalya.

The Lycian kingdom bordered on Phrygia, Pisidia, Pamphylia and Caria, from the south it was washed by the Lycian Sea.
Most of it was occupied by mountains, but there was also a plain irrigated by the Xanthus River.

The country was inhabited by the Indo-European language people of the Lycians (descendants of the Luwians, called "lukka").
In 1 millennium BC e. ethno-linguistic groups of the Miles, Terminals, and others emerged from it. The Lycians borrowed their writing in the 6th century. BC e. among the Dorians of the island of Rhodes.

The most significant monument of Lycian writing is the stele from Xanthus (4th century BC).

Large cities of Lycia: Xanthus, Phaselida, Patara, etc. The small town of Telmessa, where the temple and oracle of Apollo were located, was famous.

The temple and burial structures were distinguished by magnificent architecture.

Living evidence of this once outstanding civilization is the inimitable rock lycian tombs and a magnificent antique amphitheater in Mira.

The population of the country was engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, winemaking, chalk mining, shipbuilding, and engaged in sea robbery.

In the 7-6 centuries. BC e. Lycia defended its independence in the struggle against the Lydian kingdom, but in 546 it was conquered by the Persians.
The latter initially retained hereditary royal power and local self-government there.

Under Darius I, the Persians included the country in the satrapy of Ionia and imposed a tribute in the form of grain, silver, wool, etc.
Some of the Lycians were driven to Persia and performed royal work as forced laborers "kurtash".

At the end of the 4th century. BC e. Lycia became part of the empire of Alexander the Great, and after his death went to his associate Antigonus.
In 295-197 BC. e. was under the rule of the Ptolemies, which more than once in the so-called. "Syrian" wars were contested by the Seleucids, until they finally captured Lycia under Antiochus III.

After the defeat of Antiochus by the Romans in 188 BC. e. it was transferred to Rhodes, against which the Lycians revolted three times.

Lycia supported Rome in its struggle with the Pontine kingdom and in 168. BC e. in gratitude for this she again received independence.
The state united 23 cities into an independent union, friendly to Rome.
At 43. AD under the emperor Claudius from Lycia and Pamphylia, a new Roman province was formed.

In the 3rd century AD. e. The Romans had to wage a fierce struggle with the Isaurian predatory tribes who captured Lycia.
After the division of the Roman Empire in 395, it became part of Byzantium. From the 11th century. belongs to the Turks.