The great tombs
Carved in the cliff.
Cobija — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cobija — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cobija — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dosseman — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Tombs of the Pontic Kings are huge royal tombs carved into the rock face of Mount Harşena above the Yeşilırmak river in Amasya, northern Turkey, less than 1 km from the town centre and directly above the row of Ottoman riverside houses. Amasya, the ancient Amaseia, was the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, before the capital moved to Sinop. Its kings carved tall, temple-like tomb fronts into the cliff, separated from the mountain by narrow passages cut around them. The geographer Strabo, who was born in the town, described them. Stairs and paths climb from the riverbank to the largest tombs, grouped side by side, some of them more than 10 m high, and the route passes through a short rock tunnel. Terraces in front of them give wide views over the town, the river and the mountains, and Amasya Castle crowns the summit above. A small entry fee is charged. The tombs are lit at night, and the view of them from the far bank of the river at sunset is the finest.
Carved in the cliff.
Along the path.
Over town and river.
Mount Harşena, Amasya, Turkey
About an hour.
Yes.
