Definition: Tas Kule is a tomb, a freestanding monument carved out of an outcrop of limestone bedrock in a valley floor, seven km east of the ancient Lycian and Greek town of Phokaia (Phocaea)--and really nothing else. The tomb, empty of its contents, represents a blend of local Anatolian (Lycian) and Achaemenid period architectural styles.
The building has two stories, the lowest measuring 8.8x6.2 meters and 2.7 meters high. The second story is much smaller, a plain cube 2.9x2.9 meters and 1.9 meters high. Five carved steps make a transition between the two stories and the top is capped by an irregular step.
The front of Tas Kule has a false door, a recessed place on the north side. The real entrance is on the west side, which leads into the lower story. Within this room is a single (empty) burial cist cut into the floor. The building appears unfinished to some degree, with some surfaces unsmoothed.
The structure of the tomb is similar to other Anatolian tombs, such as the Maussolleion at Halikarnassos in Caria, a Lycian tomb, and perhaps the Lion Tomb at Knidos. However, the closest parallels are to the Pyramid Tomb at Sardis and the Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae, leading researcher Nicholas Cahill to propose an Achaemenid association for Tas Kule. This would date Tas Kule to the Achaemenid control of Phokaia, between the 540s to 479 BC.
Archaeologist Ömer Özyığıt (excavator at Phokaia) has extensively reconstructed Tas Kule.
The building has two stories, the lowest measuring 8.8x6.2 meters and 2.7 meters high. The second story is much smaller, a plain cube 2.9x2.9 meters and 1.9 meters high. Five carved steps make a transition between the two stories and the top is capped by an irregular step.
The front of Tas Kule has a false door, a recessed place on the north side. The real entrance is on the west side, which leads into the lower story. Within this room is a single (empty) burial cist cut into the floor. The building appears unfinished to some degree, with some surfaces unsmoothed.
The structure of the tomb is similar to other Anatolian tombs, such as the Maussolleion at Halikarnassos in Caria, a Lycian tomb, and perhaps the Lion Tomb at Knidos. However, the closest parallels are to the Pyramid Tomb at Sardis and the Tomb of Cyrus at Pasargadae, leading researcher Nicholas Cahill to propose an Achaemenid association for Tas Kule. This would date Tas Kule to the Achaemenid control of Phokaia, between the 540s to 479 BC.
Archaeologist Ömer Özyığıt (excavator at Phokaia) has extensively reconstructed Tas Kule.
Source
Cahill, N. 1988 Tas Kule: A Persian-Period Tomb near Phokaia. American Journal of Archaeology 92(4):481-501.
Özyigit, Ö. 2006. Nouvelles recherches archéologiques a Phocée. Pages 9-22 in: Velia. Atti del Quarantacinquesimo convegno di studi sulla Magna Grecia. Taranto, Marina di Ascea.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
