Lycian Tomb of Amyntas

Photo of the week: Lycian Tomb of Amyntas, built in 4th Century B.C, carved into into sheer rock on a cliff above Fethiye, Turkey.

On its walls is written in Greek letters “Amyntou tou Ermagiou”, telling us that Amyntas was the son of Hermagios. This tomb is the largest and highest, so we can assume Amyntas was a very important man.

The Lycians believed that the souls of their dead would be transported from the tombs to the afterworld by a sort of winged siren-like creature. We can assume this is why they so often built their tombs along the coast or at the top of a cliff as they did in Fethiye.

These tombs were broken into  many years ago and robbed of their riches. Today the temples have been tarnished by modern graffiti but are still an impressive sight.

Tomb of Amyntas:  Lycian Tomb in Fethiye, Turkey

Lycian Tombs

 Fethiye, Turkey