The city is located east of Kaş, on a hill approximately 1 km south of the village of Belenli. Isinda was an independent settlement that existed from the Dynastic period onward. Its Lycian name was likely Isñta. During the Roman period, Isinda was a member of the Lycian League; however, as it was not large enough to hold a vote of its own, it was represented together with Apollonia and Simena in a sympoliteia under the leadership of Aperlai. In addition to the five pillar tombs identified at Isinda, Wurster (1993) mentions a sixth, although its existence remains uncertain. Another pillar tomb, designated PX by Schürr (2015), has also been reported (see photo below). These six pillar tombs, together with several rock-cut tombs bearing Lycian inscriptions, constitute the most prominent monuments of the Classical period at the site. Traces of terraces and fortification walls are still visible on the slopes of the hill.
To the southeast of the acropolis lies a heroon-like tomb consisting of a rock-cut burial chamber surmounted by a sarcophagus (now destroyed). No systematic excavations have yet been conducted at the site.
The Isinda Pillar Tomb
One of the pillar tombs at Isinda (P5) is distinguished from the others by the reliefs decorating its burial chamber. It was discovered by Heberdey and Kalinka in 1895, and the reliefs were subsequently removed and transferred to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. These reliefs depict scenes of combat, hunting, and feasting, likely reflecting aspects of the life of the tomb’s owner, who was probably a dynast. The tomb is dated to the 6th century BCE and is considered one of the earliest pillar tombs in Lycia.
References:
Akurgal, E. 1941. Griechische Reliefs des VI. Jahrhunderts aus Lykien, Berlin.
Çevik, N. 2021. Lykia Kitabı: Arkeolojisi, Tarihi ve Kültürüyle Batı Antalya, Türk Tarih Kurumu, Ankara.
Deltour-Levie, C. 1982. Les Piliers Funéraires de Lycie, Louvain-la-Neuve.
Dinç, S. 2008. Hellenizm ve Roma Likyası’nda Sympoliteia’lar, Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Marmara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
Mendel, G. 1912. Catalogue des sculptures grecques, romaines et byzantines du Musée de Constantinople, Vol. I, Constantinople.
Özhanlı, M. 2002. “İsinda Dikme Anıtı,” Adalya 5, 73–106.
Schürr, D. 2015. “Beobachtungen an den Grabpfeilern von Isinda,” Philia 1, 153-165.
Wurster, W. W. 1993. “Dynast ohne Palast – Überlegungen zum Wohnbereich lykischer Feudalherren,” in: Akten Lykien II Bd. 2, 27-30.
Images:
G. Mendel, 1912
E. Akurgal, 1941
M. Özhanlı, 2002
Tayfun Bilgin, 2022, 2025
Bora Bilgin, 2022, 2023, 2025
Reha Özer, 2023