Lycian Rock Tombs

A Lycian rock tomb. Atlas Obscura user skaremedia

Dalian near Fethiye - lycian tombs philoursmars

Fethiye -Amyntas tomb and other lycian tombs philoursmars

Collector of Experiences (Atlas Obscura User)

Fethiye -Amyntas tomb and other lycian tombs philoursmars

Dalian near Fethiye - lycian tombs philoursmars

Inside a tomb at the Myra Necropolis Driftwood1966 (Atlas Obscura User)

AdOYo (Atlas Obscura User)

Lycian Sarcophagus in middle of street not far from rock tombs April 2022 aaronwood10000 (Atlas Obscura User)

Amyntas Rock Tombs from road 9pm April 2022 aaronwood10000 (Atlas Obscura User)

Carved into the side of a Turkish mountain are what look to be the entrances to countless temples, but are in fact the ornate facade of ancient Lycian tombs.

The Lycians believed that their dead were carried to the afterlife by magic winged creatures and thus they placed their honored dead in geographically high places such as the cliffside. Dating back to the 4th century, many of the numerous entryways are adorned with tall Classical columns and intricate reliefs, a bit duller from centuries of weathering. The older tombs are often no more than unremarked holes dug into the rock.

Despite the external grandeur, the interior of the tombs are spare chambers cut into the rock with a simple monolith inside to display the body and the rooms, are otherwise empty from hundreds of years worth of looting.