Xanthos

Türkiye · Antalya

Ancient cityExcavation ongoingUNESCO · 1988
Approximate period700 BCE — 1,100 CELycian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods See on the map ↓

In brief

The city near Kınık was one of Lycia's important political centers. Its funerary architecture and inscriptions are fundamental sources for understanding Lycian culture; the city shares a UNESCO listing with Letoon.

What was found?

  • 1Lycian inscriptions

    These are texts carved into stone monuments. They are fundamental documents for understanding the language and history of the Lycians.

  • 2Harpy Monument

    This is one of the pillar-shaped tomb monuments of Ksanthos. It represents the city's distinctive funerary architecture.

  • 3Nereid Monument

    This is a funerary monument combining architecture and sculpture. UNESCO particularly emphasizes its influence on the Mausoleum of Halikarnas.

  • 4Roman theatre and agora

    These are an adjoining performance building and city square. They reveal Roman-period public life within the city plan.

  • 5East Basilica

    These are the remains of a Byzantine-period cathedral. They document the use of the ancient city during its Christian period.

What does it point to?

The funerary monuments show the combination of Lycian traditions and Greek art within the same city. The inscriptions, theatre and churches allow us to trace the changing language, public life and beliefs of Ksanthos across different periods.

What did it teach us?

  1. Documents different forms of Lycian funerary architecture, such as rock-cut tombs, pillar tombs and sarcophagi on high bases.
  2. Lycian texts allow research into a language that is no longer spoken.
  3. The Nereid Monument shows that Lycian art influenced the monumental architecture of neighboring regions.

Images

Lycian inscription at Xanthos
Pot Noodle · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Xanthos view along acropolis wall 4346
Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The Byzantine Basilica, Xanthos, Lycia, Turkey (8825232344)
Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Entrance into theatre of Xanthos
Pot Noodle · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Lycian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine
Coordinates
36.3562°, 29.3186°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. whc.unesco.org
  3. persee.fr
  4. toplumsalarastirmalarmerkezi.org
  5. dergi.ayk.gov.tr
  6. Antalya İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü — Xanthos

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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