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Tombs of Myra

Myra was a leading city of the Lycian Union and surpassed Xanthos in early Byzantine times to become the capital city of Lycia. Its remains are situated about 1.5 km north of today's Demre,

 

The date of Myra's foundation is unknown. There is no literary mention of it before the 1st century BC, when it is said to be one of the six leading cities of the Lycian Union It is believed to date back much further however, as an outer defensive wall has been dated to the 5th century BC.

 

Rock-Cut Tombs

 

These are the most numerous of all types of Lycian tombs and some are perhaps the most visually striking - elaborate funeral chambers carved directly into the rock face, usually into a cliff. Most often, the tombs are carved like the facade of timber Lycian houses with protruding beams (house-type tombs), usually with one or two stories, sometimes three. It is believed that the first house-type rock-cut tombs were carved in the 5th century BC.

 

www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_sites/myra.htm

 

 

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Uploaded on March 17, 2014
Taken on February 2, 2014