Located in Muğla Province, Turkey’s contemporary Fethiye district, the Tomb of Amyntas is a magnificent reminder of the Lycian society. Once a major metropolis of Lycium, a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire, Fethiye, then known as Telmessos, was The tomb itself, carved on the southern edge of the city out on the craggy mountainside, dates back to about 350 BCE.

The Greek inscription carved on its façade— Amyntou tou Ermagiou—translates to ” amyntas, son of Hermagios,” and gives the great structure its name. Though some historians believe this person may have belonged to the Harpagid Dynasty, established by Harpagos, the Median general involved in Cyrus the Great’s conquest of Asia Minor, the identity of this person remains mysterious. This Amyntas must be distinguished from the Macedonian king Amyntas I, an ancestor of Alexander the Great, who ruled an other province inside the Achaemenid domain.

At the time the tomb was built, Lycium was a confederation of very independent city-states with distinct architectural and artistic styles. The Lycians’ complex burial practices and belief in a hereafter deserving of great commemoration are attested to by the rock-cut tombs strewn over the area.

Among the most striking Lycian rock-hewn tombs, the Tomb of Amyntas stands out for its grandeur and complex workmanship. Although several graves are carved on the steep slopes of Fethiye’s southern highlands, Amyntas’s tomb draws attention for its remarkable likeness to an Ionic temple.

Approaching the tomb calls for a difficult trek up a steep stone staircase that will reward guests with an amazing view of the carefully crafted façade of the monument. Designed in the in antis fashion of Ionian architecture, the tomb features two large columns framing the entrance. These columns, taken straight from the limestone bedrock of the mountain, radiate timelessness; their surfaces have been worn over millennia of environmental exposure. One column’s base bears inscriptions in the ancient Greek script, therefore enhancing its historical value.

Above the columns, a sequence of stepped architraves supports the weight of the pediment—which previously had finely carved acroliths. Though most of the artistic design has been lost over time, the top walls of the inner chamber still show traces of three symbolic rosettes. Sadly, water intrusion has damaged the rosettes on the western wall, evidence of the ongoing powers of nature against old workmanship.

The entrance of the tomb reflects that of a conventional temple, with a gateway painstakingly decorated with images of metal and wood, so highlighting the Lycians’ unmatched talent of stone carving. Four primary panels make up the door itself, each interrupted with minute depictions of metal studs to replicate the complex joinery of a timber building.

Inside the burial chamber, presumably used for resting places for the dead, its flat roof and three different stone platforms along its walls. The Tomb of Amyntas stands out from the smaller, more constricted rock-cut tombs scattered throughout the nearby cliffs with its roomy interior. Two smaller burial chambers are seen to the left of Amyntas’s tomb, providing a striking juxtaposition to the grandiosity of their more well-known relative.

Together with the nearby rock-cut necropolis, the tomb of Amyntas showcases Lycian metal and woodwork techniques’ inventiveness. The adornment of the tomb clearly shows the influence of Greek and Persian artistic elements, but the workmanship is clearly Lycian, therefore displaying a cultural synthesis exclusive to the area.

Many more rock-cut graves and sarcophagi dot Fethiye, each adding to the ancient fabric of the city. One especially famous Lycian coffin, close to the town hall, has a complex two-tiered form with Gothic-style arches and a gabled roof; its surface is covered with active battle frescoes.

Natural erosion has progressively reduced the finer features of these old buildings even with centuries of exposure. Still, the Tomb of Amyntas stands as a monument to Fethiye’s rich legacy, a sentinel fashioned right in the middle of the slope. Its towering presence still enthralls guests since it provides a physical link to the mysterious culture that once flourished on this ancient country.