12 must-see sarcophagi exhibited in Türkiye’s museums
Anatolia is an open-air museum with ancient cities, places of worship, theatres, towers and castles, palaces, bazaars, monuments and monasteries that have preserved their splendor for thousands of years.
- Turkey
- Published Date: 02:53 | 13 September 2022
- Modified Date: 03:09 | 13 September 2022
Among these unique artifacts that Türkiye owns and sheds light on the history of world culture and art, sarcophagi have an important place.
The history of the sarcophagi, which were carved from various metals such as stone and marble for the preservation of the dead, dates back to the Antiquity.
Museums in various cities of Türkiye host world-famous examples of sarcophagi that have been preserved in their original form.
SIDAMARA SARCOPHAGUS
Sidamara, one of the sarcophagi carrying the immortal details of history and art, has been on display in Istanbul for 121 years.
ALTIKULAÇ SARCOPHAGUS
The Altıkulaç Sarcophagus or Bell Sarcophagus in the Troy Museum is made of marble and dated to the beginning of the 4th century BC.
ALEXANDER SARCOPHAGUS
The Alexander Sarcophagus was found in 1887. On the long front of the approximately 2,500-year-old sarcophagus, Greek and Persian soldiers are depicted at war with each other.
At the far left of the scene, the figure on the horse who gives the sarcophagus its name is thought to be Alexander the Great because he wears lion skin.
HERACLES SARCOPHAGUS
The Heracles Sarcophagus in the Konya Archaeological Museum was found during a construction project in 1958.
CRYING WOMEN SARCOPHAGUS
The Crying Women Sarcophagus, one of the sarcophagi in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, was named this way because of the iconographic scene on it.
SARCOPHAGUS OF ACHILLES
The Achilles Sarcophagus, one of the examples of the 2nd Group Achilles Sarcophagus, in which the war scenes called Attica are told, is on display at the Adana Museum.
EROS SARCOPHAGUS
It is among the important sarcophagi in which the Eros sarcophagus is depicted in every direction of the Eros Sarcophagus in the Side Museum.
POLYXENA SARCOPHAGUS
The Polyxena Sarcophagus in the Troy Museum was found during the rescue excavation in the Çanakkale Kızöldün Tumulus in 1994, following an illegal excavation report.
ANTIOCH SARCOPHAGUS
Unearthed during a foundation excavation in Antakya in 1993, the Antakya Sarcophagus is dated to the 3rd century AD.
The artifact, which is exhibited in a special section of the Hatay Archeology Museum, has the shape of an inverted boat.
AURELIA BOTIANE SARCOPHAGUS OF DEMETRIA
The Aurelia Botiane Demetria Sarcophagus in the Antalya Museum was retrieved from Perge Western Necropolis by smugglers in 1997 and was seized when it was about to be sold.
LYCIAN SARCOPHAGUS
There is a male and a female griffin face to face on one side of the lid of the Lycian Sarcophagus in the form of an inverted boat.
Both stand on one leg, with three claws raised each.
DIONYSIAC SARCOPHAGUS
This sarcophagus made of Pentelikon marble is dated to the second half of the 3rd century AD with its portrait and stylistic features.