Lycian tombs in turkey. Lycian tombs in the city of Myra, Turkey: how to get here Tombs of the Lycian kings

Lycia is a wonderful country that gave the modern world almost completely destroyed cities with magnificent structures created by famous masters of that time. Much has been lost thousands of years ago, but some works of architectural art have come down to us. They look, of course, not the same as then, but they still amaze people from all over the Earth with their uniqueness.

Numerous huge amphitheaters, aqueducts and sacred sites still preserve the rich history of the amazing country of Lycia.

But all these beauties are not as numerous and interesting as the famous Lycian tombs - tombs on Teke Island, which appeared long before the beginning of our era.

You can find them throughout the country. Archaeologists have found a huge number of burials that have come down to us in an unchanged state. They are of great interest for their unusual shape and decorations, created according to all the canons of the Lycian culture.

All tombs are divided into four main types: Kaya, Tapinak, Dakhit and Doma.

Kaya city of the dead

In Lycia, you can find tombs carved directly into the rock. This is one of the very first Lycian burials. A large number of burials can be found in the city of Mira, which is located a few kilometers from the modern city of Demre. Kaya's tombs are assembled into whole complexes and from afar can resemble entire empty settlements.

They are very difficult to reach, so these burials are better preserved than others. Particularly impressionable tourists, arriving in Lycia, do not immediately realize that they have ended up in burial places, and not in an abandoned city.

The tombs consist of square foundations and are decorated with carved columns. A burial chamber is located above them. The facade and columns are decorated with carvings and Lycian ornaments. Currently, some burials are not in the best condition, but they did not become less beautiful because of this.

Tapinac temples of the dead

You can meet them almost throughout the territory. But most of the graves are in the ancient city of Kavn. The most popular burial place was the tomb of Amyntas, which is located in Fethiye.

All tombs are designed as temples with two columns. Outside, they are similar to Kaya, but the internal architecture is different. The entrance to the tomb is flanked by a small portico, which is an empty space. Immediately behind it is a burial room.

Homes for the dead

These tombs are very similar to the national Lycian houses. They have several floors and a decorated rectangular entrance.

The entire area of ​​the tombs is covered with icons, drawings in the Gothic style. A burial chamber similar to Tapinak is hidden inside them.

Unusual sarcophagi

The tombs are scattered all over the world, you won't surprise anyone with them. But Lycia is famous for its sarcophagi, which, due to their layered structure, have the shape of a tower. All sarcophagi have three levels.

The first level is represented by the base of the tomb, the second is the burial, and the third is a roof that resembles the roof of an ordinary house.

Servants, slaves were kept on the lower level. The upper ones were intended for gentlemen and elite and were decorated with frescoes.

The most famous sarcophagus is found at Xanthos. The frescoes that adorn it are kept in.

Sign of respect

All the tombs were executed very gracefully and exquisitely. It can be concluded that the Lycians respected and worshiped death.

They even created a defense system against robbery. A note was placed near each tomb with a curse warning of what might befall the unbelievers in the event of a robbery. Whole families guarded the graves. Fines were imposed for looting.

The amount was established either by the closest relatives, or by the deceased himself while still alive.

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 present-day 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 it should be - 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 at the 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".

Turkey amazes with its historical and cultural monuments. Here are the ruins of Troy praised 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. NS. 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.

There are cliffs with tombs 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.

Tombs of noble, 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 being built above them. The facade 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, 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 Ionic style is the Amyntas Tomb. On the wall it 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, they put a note with the promise of curses addressed to the one who dares to disturb the peace of the dead. The burials were carefully guarded by all relatives. For desecration, a fine was taken.

Sightseeing greece

Historical facts about the Lycian tombs

There are more than a thousand tombs in total. Most of them are located in the area of ​​Mira, 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 also did not stand aside. 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 XVIII 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 hewn 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 burial places, 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, where a fortress and the smallest Roman theater are located. It is believed to have accommodated no more than 400 people.

Excursions 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 a little 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 trip 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 to 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 bestowed on man.

* Prices are valid for September 2018

Many are worried about what happens after death. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find an answer to this question in tombs. But we can say for sure that some of them are among the most popular tourist destinations. Below is a list of the ten most famous tombs in the world.

The Mausoleum of Sayyid Yahya Bakuvi is a small mausoleum, built approximately in 1457-1458, in the capital of Azerbaijan, the city of Baku. Located in the center of the palace complex called the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Among the locals it is known as the "dervish" mausoleum. It was named after the philosopher, thinker and astrologer Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, who is buried there.

Tomb of Jahangir

The ninth place in the list of the most famous tombs in the world is occupied by the Tomb of Jahangir. This is a mausoleum built between 1627-1637 for the fourth padishah of the Mughal Empire - Jahangir (1605-1627). Located in the northern suburb of Lahore, Pakistan. This structure with a zigzag inlay of white and yellow marble has four minarets 30 meters high.

Shahi Zinda (translated as "living king") is a monument of medieval architecture, consisting of eleven mausoleums of the Samarkand nobility, which were sequentially attached to each other during the XIV-XV centuries. The entire complex consists of twenty buildings and includes an ensemble of mausoleums and other ritual structures located in the northeastern part of the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. According to one of the legends, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, Kusam ibn Abbas, is buried here.

The Mausoleum of Cyrus is a small stone structure located about 1 km southwest of the ancient Persian city of Pasargadae in Iran. Around the 4th century BC. NS. was plundered. According to Greek sources, one of the greatest monarchs in history is buried here - the Persian king Cyrus II the Great, who ruled in 559-530 BC. NS. However, the belonging of this monument as the mausoleum of Cyrus is considered not documented proven.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is a world famous Christian church located in Jerusalem, Israel, presumably at the place where, according to legend, Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and then resurrected. It has been a place of pilgrimage for Christian believers from all over the world since the 4th century. This architectural complex includes Golgotha ​​with the place of the Crucifixion, a rather large rotunda, the Katholikon, the underground temple of the Finding of the Life-giving Cross, the temple of St. Helena, Equal to the Apostles, and several chapels. On the territory of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, there are also several active monasteries, as well as a number of auxiliary buildings, galleries, etc.

Castel Sant'Angelo or Hadrian's Mausoleum is an architectural monument and mausoleum originally intended for the Roman emperor Hadrian, his family and heirs. However, later the castle began to be used as a tomb for other emperors (Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Sever, Caracalla), even later as a fortress. Currently, it is one of the most visited museums in Italy. Its construction began in 135 and was completed in 139. The castle is located on the right bank of the Tiber River, near the Vatican, Italy. At one time it was considered the tallest building in Rome. Its height is about 20 meters.

In fourth place on the list of the most famous tombs in the world is Lenin's Mausoleum, a famous mausoleum located on Red Square in Moscow, Russia. It was built by the architect Alexei Shchusev between 1929-1930. The embalmed body of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin has been buried here since 1924. In 1953, the body of Joseph Stalin was also placed here, but on October 30, 1961, by decision of the 22nd Congress of the CPSU, Stalin's body was buried next to the Kremlin wall under a simple granite monument.

The Pyramid of Cheops or the Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids, which is the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh of the 4th dynasty Khufu (Cheops). It is believed to have been built around 2645–2613 BC. NS. designed by the architect Hemion. The pyramid is located on the banks of the Nile, in the necropolis of the city of Giza and is a complex of ancient monuments that, during the time of the Egyptian pharaohs, were part of the ancient city of Memphis (today part of Greater Cairo). It is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza, and the only surviving structure from the Seven Wonders of the World.

Terracotta Army is the name of a burial site discovered in March 1974. It is located in Lishan Mountain, a suburb of Xian, Shaanxi Province, China, near the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. It consists of at least 8099 full-sized terracotta (fired clay) statues of Chinese warriors and their horses, whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife. Interestingly, the height of the warriors varies from 185 cm to 209.77 cm and they all differ from each other. The archaeological find is believed to have been built around 240 BC. NS. According to the testimony of the then historian Sima Qian, more than 700 thousand workers and artisans were involved in the creation of the mausoleum, and it lasted 38 years.