Yazılıkaya - Midas Monument

There are two places, paramount from the historical point of view, bearing the same name - Yazılıkaya - in the area of Turkey. Not surprisingly, as in Turkish this word means 'inscribed rock' and thus perfectly reflects the character of all the monuments that were created by carving inscriptions in the rock walls. The monument, which is described here, also has two other names - Midas Kenti (Midas City) and Midas Anıtı (Midas Monument), that distinguish it from the Hittite sanctuary of Yazılıkaya, located in the vicinity of Hattusa, in central Anatolia.

Yazılıkaya -  Midas Monument
Yazılıkaya - Midas Monument

Ayazini

Ayazini village, located in the Phrygian Valley, boasts an amazing resemblance to the Cappadocian landscape, well-known to many travelers. In its vicinity, there are beautiful valleys that encourage hiking, and unusual rock formations, including - so-called fairy chimneys. In the village, you can find a church, tombs, and houses carved into a rock. All these attractions have one significant advantage over Cappadocia - as Ayazini is rarely visited by tourists so it can be explored and enjoyed in solitude.

Ayazini
Ayazini

Aslankaya from the Phrygian Valley

One of the most impressive free-standing monuments in the Phrygian Valley is the so-called Aslankaya i.e. the Lion's Rock. This religious sanctuary from the mid-sixth century BC was dedicated to the goddess Cybele, one of the most prominent figures of the Phrygian pantheon. Aslankaya owes its discovery to the Western world to William M. Ramsey, a Scottish archaeologist. He found this place and thoroughly described it in 1884. In 1997, another study of Aslankaya was conducted by T. Tüfekçi-Sivas.

Aslankaya from the Phrygian Valley
Aslankaya from the Phrygian Valley

10 sites from the area of Turkey inscribed on the UNESCO World Tentative List

10 heritage sites from the area of Turkey have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Tentative List recently. With these new additions, Turkey has 70 sites on the tentative list. It is the highest number of natural and cultural heritage sites on the UNESCO tentative list.

Ancient city of Kibyra - the theatre
Ancient city of Kibyra - the theatre

Pages

Subscribe to Turkish Archaeological News RSS