Kibyra is located approximately 110 km southwest of Burdur, near the town of Gölhisar. The name Kibyra is not of Greek origin; although it is thought to derive from Luwian, its meaning remains unknown. The city represents the northernmost point on the Lycian road network depicted in the Patara Road Monument. However, Kibyra was not a city of Lycian cultural character; rather, it lay at the intersection of the Pisidian, Carian, Lydian, and Phrygian cultural spheres. Strabo notes that the inhabitants of Kibyra were of Lydian origin and that Greek, Lydian, Pisidian, and Solymian languages were spoken in the city.
In the 2nd century BCE, when the region was under the rule of the Kingdom of Pergamon, a tetrapolis was formed under the leadership of Kibyra, together with Boubon, Balboura, and Oinoanda. While the region had previously been known as Kabalia, from the Hellenistic and Roman periods onward it was referred to as Kibyratis. After the army of the tetrapolis was defeated by Rome in 81 BCE, the cities other than Kibyra were incorporated into the Lycian League. Kibyra, located further to the north, was instead included in the Roman province of Asia. Although the exact date is unknown, Kibyra was incorporated into the Lycian League at a later stage. The city declined after a major earthquake in 417 CE. In the modern era, the site was first visited by Spratt and Forbes in 1842. Following limited excavations in 1988–89 and 2001–02, systematic excavations began in 2006.
Although archaeological evidence around Kibyra dates back to the Late Chalcolithic period, the earliest architectural remains within the city itself can only be traced to the Hellenistic period. Most of the visible remains today belong to the Roman period and later. Among the most prominent structures are the stadium, with a capacity of 10,000 spectators, the theater, and the odeon/bouleuterion. The bouleuterion also functioned as a covered theater (theatrum tectum) and represents the best-preserved example of its kind in Lycia. Particularly noteworthy is the mosaic depicting Medusa, composed of colored marble tesserae on the orchestra floor.
Theater
Bouleuterion/Odeon of Kibyra
Nymphaeum of Kibyra
Main Street
Stadium
Eastern Necropolis of Kibyra
The friezes depicting gladiatorial combats on tombs located along the necropolis road to the east of the stadium indicate that the Kibyra stadium was used not only for athletic competitions but also for gladiatorial games. These scenes portray gladiators engaged in various activities, including training, arena combat, and fights with animals. All of these friezes are now exhibited in the Burdur Museum.
References:
Çevik, N. 2021. Lykia Kitabı: Arkeolojisi, Tarihi ve Kültürüyle Batı Antalya, Türk Tarih Kurumu, Ankara.
Dökü F. E. & Ş. Özüdoğru. 2009. “Ticaret Yollarının Kavşağındaki Kent Kibyra,” in III. Ulusal Mimarlık ve Taş Sempozyumu 20 – 21 Kasım 2009, Antalya, 51-55.
Özüdoğru, Ş. 2020. Kibyra – Kibyra Maior / Caesarea Cibyra, Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayınları, İstanbul.
Spratt, T. A. B. & E. Forbes. 1847. Travels in Lycia, Milyas and Cibyratis, London.
Images:
T. A. B. Forbes & E. Forbes, 1847
Burdur Valiliği, 2022
Reha Özer, 2022
Bora Bilgin, 2022, 2024
Tayfun Bilgin, 2022, 2024