History and archaeology / Rock tomb
Amasya King Rock Tombs
Merkez, Amasya
Monumental rock tombs of the Pontic kings carved into the slope of Mount Harşena; the symbol of Amasya and on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
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Its story
When Amasya was a capital of the Kingdom of Pontus, tombs for the kings were carved into the southern face of Mount Harşena, which rises on the north bank of the Yeşilırmak. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the five large tombs here belong to the first Pontic kings, from Mithridates I Ktistes to Pharnaces I. Shaped out of the bedrock, the tombs are separated from one another by galleries cut into the rock; the largest reaches a height of about 15 meters. Over the centuries these hollows were at times also used as a prison. You reach the front of the tombs through the narrow streets of the Hatuniye neighborhood and over the railway, then up rock-cut paths and steps. 'Mount Harşena and the Rock Tombs of the Pontic Kings' was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2015. When lit up in the evening, the view from the opposite bank of the river is the city's best-known sight.
Key facts
- Period
- Hellenistic, Kingdom of Pontus
- UNESCO
- World Heritage Tentative List (2015)
- Getting there
- Stepped path from the Hatuniye neighborhood
- Visit duration
- 1 hour
- Number of tombs
- 5 large royal tombs, with many smaller tombs around them
Trip purpose
- Photography
- Hiking
Location
40.65346, 35.83061
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
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Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://amasya.ktb.gov.tr/TR-59519/kral-kaya-mezarlari.html | https://amasya.ktb.gov.tr/EN-262598/the-kings39-rock-tombs.html | https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2014281227 | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6022363