A nearly 2,100-year-old burial mound in northern Türkiye has been opened to visitors following rescue excavations, local officials said.
Located in Kayi, a village in Kastamonu province's Daday district, the tumulus is considered one of the most important burial structures of the ancient Paphlagonia region.
The site was registered as a first-degree archaeological site in 1998 but was subjected to illegal digging for years.
Between 2015 and 2017, the Culture and Tourism Ministry carried out rescue excavations, during which massive stone blocks surrounding the burial chamber were repositioned, making the monument suitable for visitors.
Noting its significance as a cultural asset to the region, local officials and residents highlight its potential with greater international promotion.
Kayi village headman Ibrahim Terzi said the site holds great value for the region's cultural heritage.
"We want the world to hear about this place and for it to be opened to tourism as a Paphlagonian cemetery," he said.
Nature photographer Cebrail Keles also highlighted the tumulus' historical importance, saying it bears clear traces of an advanced ancient civilization.
"From the remains left behind, we can see that a highly developed civilization existed here more than two millennia ago," he said, stressing the importance of promoting the site to international visitors interested in history and archaeology.
