The rock-cut tombs of Myra

In the middle of Lycia, Myra ruled on one of the unusual shore plateau of the region penetrating the area through the high hills just behind that plateau; within the historical period by the mercy of sea, rivers, earth and roads, it had interpenetrated beyond the borders in the means of politics and culture. Firstly based on the Hellenistic resources in antique scripts, Myra is considered to be one of the six metropolis in The Lycian League and secondly depending on the archeological remains of today, its earliest existence in Classical Period is provable. The ruins of Myra in splendor and richness, spreading from before mentioned periods through the Roman times and clearly revealing the local cultural, economic and political importance in a broad sense, have always aroused curiosity about the city and therefore about the Lycian culture, in the name of the unknowns in earlier periods and also it has created a reflection for inquiries. In this sense, rock-cut tombs, which are common in many parts of the region with their various types, especially with hundreds of them reflecting the Lycian Façade, as the original elements of the regional culture, are important sources of information, which have been consulted many times to provide a projection basicly to the Classical Period of Lycia and a symmetrical projection to its earlier period. From a scientific point of view, Myra is an important center of this vast source of information, by retaining 10% of the rock tombs of Lycia, with a total of 104 rock-cut tombs located in three necropolises positioned around the settlement. The unique role of Myra in understanding rock-cut tombs and the burial customs in this context among Lycia, is besides the quantity, actually the significance of the technical features within, dimensions, samples of flamboyant ornaments and the presentation of a variety of facades. In order to understand this diversity in a way that covers Lycia in general, the effort to systematize has formed the basis of this study and on this conceptual plane Myra rock tombs were examined in detail in terms of construction processes, room plans, dead bed typifications, and burial traditions. Within this context and from a technical point of view considering specifically Lycia, starting with such questions as "What is a rock-cut tomb?", "How would the reflections of authentic wooden architectural outlooks and stone façades of the rock-cut tombs, be conceptualized?", some comparative evaluations have been made, then architectural instruments presented by the façades are matched up individually on the basis of their functions with prosperous Turkish wooden architectural terms. Hence, Lycia rock tombs are divided into five main groups regarding the architectural and technical fine distinctions among them and 12 main and 20 sub types are expressed under these headings with a similar approach. Thereafter, subject to the typology that provides 29 different facades, Myra necropolises present uniqueness in urban basis, regarding rock-cut tomb variety, by embodying 18 pieces of different facades and among these the types defined as Lycian Façades in this study, has been determined to constitute the majority. As in the approach to systematize the formation of Myra rock-cut tomb facade architectures, grave chamber arrangements and equipment is analyzed with same perspective and as a result it is ascertained that they have some specific features since they could be assessed in a specific evaluation. At a first glance, the usage frequency of 5 plan types in Myra indicates that the number of death beds for the preference of plan arrangement is an important criterion. Thus, three sided –triclinium- grave chamber plans –Type 5 – which enables to host more death beds compared to other plans are more common. At the same time, this also determines the architectonic tradition of Lycian rock-cut tomb chambers in terms of reflection of family usage in general. Myra rock-cut tombs include more than 249 death beds. These are evaluated under 5 different types considering their height, separation from rocks and other stylistic features. Amongst them, "Seki" typed death beds come forward as frequently been used, compared to the predominancy of Type 5 planned grave chamber arrangements in Myra. On the other hand, it is noticed that 49 grave chambers including other sorts of beds which were designed higher from the ground to sustain the increasing necessity for the peace of death and for isolation. It is also pointed out that some of these graves with mixed plan might have been reconstructed later. In addition to these based on the mounting arrangements on rock faces, it is figured out that separately produced death beds in 7 grave chambers were used as well. Examination of Myra rock-cut tomb necropolises enabled to have a scenario via linear flow and different technical processes defined for the first time, such as the transformation from a necropolis place to a "rock city" by the selection of rocks, location choice and relations, the transformation from area to space and even to units, the cityscape of death including the formation stages, selection of materials and workmanship activities. The process was presented with some schemes using a linear time period through facade traces which reveal reliefs, painting and plastering activities as well affiliating them with equipment. Hence, it is provided to question temporal binds between the reliefs and similar ornaments and construction – usage phases of tombs. On the other hand, as a result of the observation and analysis on the painting, new information and suggestions are put forward about color and motif arrangements accordingly their iconographies of the painted parts of the tombs and it is noticed that outward facades -although partially- were also colorized in Myra. Necropolises (East – "River" – Necropolis, South Necropolis and West – "Sea"- Necropolis) are located on acropolis slopes which consecutively takes place in urban sphere landscape, and relations among them are established by the roads arranged vertically from the acropolis and horizontally from the slopes. Deterministic factor in this arrangement is the harmony with the field. Likewise, topography of necropolis reef is generally effective on the lateral and upside positioning of grave groups. The first step of the construction is the determination of grave place; then engraving of construction materials with a sequence of upward to downward is provided by the use of a variety of stone tools –in cutting, engraving and measuring- which could be noticed from façade of rocks. Engraving of grave chamber is generally carried out simultaneously with the specific stages of facade activities. Necropolis researches brought out some information on alternative build techniques of rock-cut tombs in Lycia. This issue addressing under the heading of "Plating– Montage – Facades", is related to the formation of architectural units engraving on rocks for the creation of appearance of facade architecture, and - when it is not possible - a technique which is based on constructing independently abiding by different arrangements and unifying it in front of the chamber as a result. The mainly four different door styles - Lycian; Ionic and/or Doric; Plain - encountered in region necropolises are used within determined facade types in Myra. Despite the facade accordingly door appearance differences, only the sliding system of Lycia is used to cover the entrances. On the contrary of basic previous explanations, functioning principles of this system in Myra is based on an alternative context considering varied features in details, inner decoration design - tomb chamber and bed types – connected formations. Some rock-cut tombs in Myra have entrance places called as "Sofa" in the study. This sort of arrangement is seen in intrinsic to Lycian facades and mostly seen in two story-three cassettes arranged rock-cut tombs types. Intrinsic to the city, the sofas have the feature to be a joint place providing opportinuty to be positioned in different axes around chambers, when there exist more than one grave chambers behind the main façade. In this sense, it reminds us the oikos – located behind – and andron – articulated from the side – planned dwelling types of the Western Anatolia. 102 grave chambers are examined in Myra. They don't demonstrate any standards in the means of location and dimension. They have varied usage areas from 3 m2 to 9 m2 generally compatible position with the entrance-facade axes. The request of grave owner, functional necessities, the nature of rock works, structural features of rock, type of facade and dimensions and the positioning of neighbor graves are the deterministic factors on the issue. Unlike facades, grave chambers don't indicate a imitation structure motif. Beds surrounding action pit or action area tracing the walls are mostly equal to each other or have similar heights and the rarely respectively high places arranged on the corners, are designed as isolated places with the reserve places to exhibit grave gifts. Same samples were horizontally or vertically framed with high relief profiles and some special samples were ornamented to present wooden klinen structure. In total, there are 24 inscriptions on rock-cut tombs' facades in city necropolises – 14 in Lycian and 10 in Ancient Greek. Similar to as in Lycia, the grave inscriptions in Myra have also been pathfinders for the perception of death architecture and mentions their functions. Assessment of inscription positions together with the tomb architecture provided an important indicator to have an understanding on the relation between the context of inscription and a rock-cut tomb or a group of graves even between the reserve area where exists a grave chamber. It is archeologically expressed in Myra that there exist some specific terms in the inscriptions about the physical status of buried person among the community and these match with the plans and furnishing features of rock-cut tombs. Funeral processes which are an important part of death practices in Lycia could be explained with blanks because of limited information and lack of information on some specific issues such as depiction tradition of grave reliefs. Hence, to have reliable responses for the questions "how corpse was transported to the necropolis and the grave?", "how the funeral rituals were carried out by the grave or in the necropolis?" is not possible. Though when it is time to speak on the rock-cut tombs, considering necropolises located on steep topography and the physical features of roads which let people to reach tombs on steep rock facades, it could be estimated that the corpse might had been carried to only the nearest place of grave via a stretcher depending on the conditions in many times. On the other hand, insufficient dimensions or absence of front sides along with average width range of tombs' doors in Myra indicates that the corpse had to be twirled and mostly bended during entering the grave chamber, and since the physical processes of death the second activity (bended) could be realized after 36 hours; hence, it is comprehended that the dead could be transferred on the dawn of third day. In many samples on rock-cut tombs, design function of beds mainly is directed to burial as corpse. Yet, depending on the arrangement of beds, it should be taken into account that high square areas left on the corners are for putting urne under available conditions. In Myra, some restricted areas such as "sofa"s, front areas, large terraces which could enable to realize rituals such as libation and sacrifice about death could be estimated as simple commemoration activities done in some periodical durations through large and/or restricted field samples. Comparing to libation pottery affiliations with grave through Lycia rock-cut tombs, in this respect, krater pieces acquired in a sofa of a rock-cut tomb in Myra could be estimated to present a funeral which had happened via liquid offer. Yet, since the limitation of the dimensions of these areas or non-existence in many samples indicates that such a usage doesn't represent the general character of the region. On the other hand, there exists two independent areas designed for public use in the East and West necropolises of Myra for wide-ranging rituals such as sacrifice and for funerals. Likewise, in death-feast (Totenmahl) depictions, the idea of the illustration of the corpse in red and the rest of the community in blue on the background which might reminds the space difference between the death person and the rest and it could be an evidence for such a use. Myra urban necropolises has approximately a capacity of 300 persons to be buried at each turn. From this point of view, the number that three dead beds per grave in the city are in harmony with the Lycia rock-cut tombs in the means of family usage. As a result of the information acquired from the inscriptions, 18 individuals who had property let family members to be buried within himself/herself. Incriptions which were mainly in Lycian and Ancient Greek takes place on Lycian Facade types and names of people were choosen from locals. These indications and limited number of samples of deviant facade types of third group graves in Lycian tradition in Myra refers that the majority of the public had limited effect from foreign cultures. At this point, what makes Myra special is that the city has a unique diversity and high grade in the means of spectacular facade types of necropolises and that indicates high economic level of the society and its extensiveness among the members of the community. A basic ground becomes apparent on dating of Lycia rock-cut tombs. In this respect, Myra rock-cut tombs doesn't represent a different perspective from the ones in Lycia; reliefs and inscriptions don't manifest a date before B.C. 4th century overall. As well as findings in my study point out the 4th century justifying dating proposals through inscriptions and reliefs, in some cases it just lets to define a limited time period. Typological findings on interior arrangements of Myra rock-cut tombs reveals that some graves have earlier features specific to the city and some had amendment on the 2nd half of the 4th century B.C. and reused by alteration. Even though this study is not able to figure out a systematic time match-up on facade typology of rock-cut tombs in Myra which was grounded on Lycia, recommended classification dimension and detailed findings on the creation of necropolises and the construction features of graves has a potential for new ascensions considering the contribution of the existing information accumulation and the new data which could be gathered from new studies.