Taking a route through the Lycian tombs of Turkey is an experience that combines the scenic beauty and historical charm typical of romantic adventurers, as there are still enclaves literally hidden in the undergrowth that have not yet been exploited by mass tourism.
What we mean by Lycia
No matter how much you search the map of Turkey, you will not find any trace of Lycia. It is a historical region, of great importance during Antiquity, which extended through the current provinces of Antalya and Mugla, which today are framed in the so-called Turquoise Coast or Turkish Riviera.
Its main cities were located on the coast, given the rugged interior terrain of Lycia. The first settlements date back to the Bronze Age and its people, later known as lukka, are mentioned by Hittites and Egyptians. It was conquered and dominated by Greeks, Persians and Carians, but maintained its local culture, of which the tombs are the best example. Later, it was integrated into the Roman Empire, like all the territory of Anatolia.
What we mean by Lycian tombs
By Lycian tombs we mean the niches carved into the rocky walls of the territory, whose facades were richly carved in the form of temples with pilasters and a pediment. It was the funerary space reserved for rulers and members of high society, such as Achaemenid satraps. It is, therefore, a typology that may be reminiscent of other royal tombs, such as those of the Nabataeans in Petra.
On the other hand, the less wealthy classes had to settle for the stone sarcophagi in the shape of a house that are also scattered throughout the territory, such as the one we mentioned in the article on the Sunken City of Kekova.
For its part, the interior is not always very spacious and was where the sarcophagus of the tomb itself was preserved, which was usually decorated with reliefs. At present, these troglodytic tombs are empty and the best preserved sarcophagi are exhibited in different archaeological museums.
Where to move
To configure a route through the Lycian tombs of Turkey, everything will depend on the time available, the more or less deep interest in this ancient civilization and the means of transport that you wish to use. The ideal and most complete thing is, without a doubt, to use a chauffeured vehicle to move along the road that borders the coast, but also to resort to a small boat (gulet) with which to navigate a few meters from the coast. In this way, you can appreciate the tombs carved into the rock from an unbeatable point of view, from where you can understand the vocation of eternity sought by their deceased owners.
The places to introduce on a route through the Lycian tombs are also very varied, but without a doubt you should not miss:
- Tomb of Pericles of Limira, whose reliefs with warriors are preserved in the Antalya Museum
- Tombs of Mira, among the most spectacular, due to their location on the steep rocky walls
- Xantos or Janto, which is actually a large archaeological site with many other remains of the city, not only funerary elements, including the famous Inscribed Column
- Tombs of Pinara, whose rock and hidden location gives it an additional mysterious touch
- Tombs of Fethiye (ancient Telmessos), among which the Amintas stands out, for its elegant Ionic facade
And as we have mentioned fleetingly, to know the beauty and mystery of these funerary monuments, you can add a visit to local and international archaeological museums, where reliefs or complete sarcophagi are preserved that tell us about the refinement and expertise of its creators. In this sense, the one in Antalya stands out, but also the British Museum, due to the pieces that were exported in the context of the first investigations on the site, in the 19th century.
