Limyra is located approximately 5 km north of Finike, at the southernmost foothills of the Bey Mountains. The Lycian name of the city is Zemuri. If this name can be associated with Zumarri mentioned in Hittite texts, as some scholars propose, it would suggest a much earlier origin for the settlement. However, the available archaeological evidence does not predate the 7th century BCE.
Limyra began minting its own coinage in the 5th century BCE and rose to prominence during the dynastic period under the rule of Perikle. In the second quarter of the 4th century BCE, conflicts among Lycian dynasts intensified, and Perikle captured Xanthos—the most powerful city of the time—thereby establishing dominance over much of Lycia (see General Information). The 4th century BCE also witnessed significant developments in urbanization and construction at Limyra. The city’s necropoleis, comprising approximately 500 tombs from the dynastic period, date largely to this era. Limyra has the highest number of tombs among Lycian cities, with Lycian inscriptions attested on 59 monuments—approximately one-third of all known Lycian inscriptions.
The first recorded visit by a researcher was made in 1812 by Charles Robert Cockerell. Systematic excavations were initiated in 1969 under the direction of Jürgen Borchhardt.
Heroon of Perikle
The remains of this monument were discovered in 1966 by Borchhardt. It was constructed on a rocky terrace at the southern, lower slope of the Limyra acropolis, commanding an extensive view of the surrounding landscape. The structure, dated to the mid-4th century BCE, is widely considered to have been built for Perikle, the prominent Lycian dynast.
The monument is a temple-shaped structure erected on a foundation measuring 10.4 × 6.8 m. Its 3.8 m-high podium incorporates a hyposorion (burial chamber). Instead of columns, four caryatids serve as roof supports on both the northern and southern façades. In this respect, the monument recalls the Erechtheion in Athens and represents a unique example in Lycia.
The podium itself is undecorated, but the eastern and western walls of the approximately 6 m-long cella behind the caryatids are adorned with a continuous frieze depicting a military procession. The friezes on the east and west sides are nearly mirror images, with processions advancing from north to south. Scholars differ on whether the prominent rider figures represent Perikle, the Persian king, or both.
The central acroterion on the northern façade depicts Perseus beheading Medusa, while the corner acroteria likely represent Medusa’s sisters. Although little survives of the southern acroteria, Borchhardt suggests they depicted the battle of Bellerophon and his winged horse Pegasus against either the Chimaera or the Amazons. Through this iconography, Perikle appears to have legitimized his rule by invoking both his Lycian ancestor Bellerophon and his Persian lineage through Perseus. The surviving architectural elements are now housed in the Antalya Museum.
Ptolemaion
The Ptolemaion is a cult monument constructed during the Hellenistic period, when Lycia was under the rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. Nevzat Çevik considers it the finest example of Hellenistic art in Lycia. The monument was identified and described by Borchhardt in 1982 during excavations at Limyra.
It is located south of the theater, in a central area of the lower city. The structure was likely destroyed by earthquakes, and only its three-stepped podium remains. In the Byzantine period, a fortification wall was constructed directly atop this podium. The plan of the monument has been reconstructed based on numerous architectural blocks uncovered during excavations.
The building took the form of a circular temple set upon a square podium approximately 15 m on each side, rising on a three-stepped socle and reaching a height of about 10 m. The conical roof of the circular structure was supported by twelve Doric columns. The podium does not contain a burial chamber, and it remains uncertain whether the temple enclosed a cella.
Fragments of relief decoration from the architrave and lion sculptures that once adorned the corners of the podium were also recovered. Some retain traces of original polychromy. One sculptural head has been identified as a portrait of Ptolemy III; however, stylistic analysis of the architectural sculpture suggests a date in the reign of Ptolemy II. The monument is therefore dated to the 3rd century BCE and interpreted as an imperial cult temple dedicated to the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Cenotaph
This monument is a cenotaph erected for Gaius Caesar, the grandson and designated heir of the Roman emperor Augustus. Gaius Caesar died at Limyra on February 21, 4 CE, while returning from a diplomatic mission in the East. His remains—most likely cremated—were transported to Rome and interred in the Mausoleum of Augustus, while this symbolic tomb was constructed at the place of his death.
Today, only the massive core of the structure survives on the western side of the lower city, rising above a limestone foundation and socle of ashlar blocks. Nineteenth-century travelers interpreted the monument as a watchtower or lighthouse. Excavations conducted by Borchhardt in 1971 revealed its stepped square foundation, approximately 17 m per side, along with additional fragments reused in nearby Byzantine structures.
Originally, the monument was clad in marble revetment and encircled by a 60 m-long frieze depicting the life of Gaius Caesar at life scale. It likely terminated in a pyramidal roof.
Limyra Necropolis I
Necropolis I, the westernmost of Limyra’s six necropoleis, is located approximately 5 km from the city. It comprises nine rock-cut tombs carved into the cliffs on the eastern side of the entrance to the Arykandos Valley, northwest of Limyra. The Lycian house-type tombs in this necropolis, imitating wooden architecture, are among the finest and best-preserved examples in Lycia.
Limyra Necropolis II
Necropolis II, situated west of the city walls, is the largest necropolis in Lycia, containing more than 250 rock-cut tombs and sarcophagi.
Tomb of Tebursseli
One of the most notable monuments in Necropolis II is the rock-cut tomb of Tebursseli. The tomb features a relief depicting a battle scene, accompanied by a Lycian inscription. According to the inscriptions (TL 103 and TL 104), Tebursseli lived during the reign of Perikle.
Borchhardt identifies the two central figures in the relief—shown back-to-back fighting their enemies—as Perikle (on the right, depicted at larger scale) and his commander Tebursseli (on the left). While Perikle confronts five enemy soldiers simultaneously, Tebursseli engages an opposing commander. Borchhardt suggests that the scene represents the conflict with Arttum̃para, as mentioned in the inscription. Another victorious figure on the left side of the composition may represent Lysander of Limyra.
Limyra Necropolises III, IV, V
Necropoleis III, IV, and V are distributed along the mountain slope east of the theater, extending at intervals from its immediate vicinity. Among them, Necropolis V is the most densely populated, containing more than 50 tombs. In addition to these necropoleis, several isolated rock-cut tombs are located outside the urban core but within the broader territory of Limyra.
Tomb of Xntabura
The Tomb of Xntabura is one of the most remarkable monuments at Limyra, located in Necropolis III to the east of the theater. The tomb stands out due to its substantial size—exceeding 4 meters in height—and its rich iconographic decoration.
It consists of a two-story sarcophagus with a hyposorion (burial chamber) beneath and is surmounted by an ogival-shaped lid. Three sides of the hyposorion are decorated with reliefs. Although the relief on the north face is badly damaged, it is believed to have depicted a four-horse chariot (quadriga), a motif commonly attested in comparable Lycian tombs.
The west face features a nude youth standing between two seated elderly men. An inscription (TL 125) identifying the youth as Xntabura suggests that he was the owner of the tomb.
References:
Başgelen, N. (ed.) 2005. Lycian Journal 1892 – Ernst Krickl, Archaeology and Art Publication, İstanbul.
Çevik, N. 2021. Lykia Kitabı: Arkeolojisi, Tarihi ve Kültürüyle Batı Antalya, Türk Tarih Kurumu, Ankara.
Borchhardt, J.,G. Neumann & K. Schulz. 1969/70. “Ein Totengericht in Lykien – Zum Grabmal des Xñtabura in Limyra,” IstMitt 19/20, 187-222.
Borchhardt, J. 1970. “Das Heroon von Limyra – Grabmal deslykischen Königs Perikles,” AA 85, 353-390.
Borchhardt, J., G. Neumann, K. J. Schulz & E. Specht. 1988. “Die Felsgraber des Tebursseli und des Pizzi in Nekropole II von Limyra,” JÖAI 58, 73-154.
Borchhardt, J. 1991. “Ein Ptolemaion in Limyra,” RA 2, 309-322.
Borchhdart, J. 1999. Limyra: Zemuri Taşları, Likya Bölgesi’nde Limyra Antik Kenti’nin Gizemli Sularında Yapılan Arkeolojik Araştırmalar, İstanbul.
Borchhardt, J. 2002. Der Fries vom Kenotaph für Gaius Caesar in Limyra, Wien.
Borchhardt, J. & A. Pekridou-Gorecki. 2012. Limyra. Studien zu Kunst und Epigraphik in den Nekropolen der Antike, Wien.
Cockerell, C. R. 1820. “Letter from Mr. Cockerel,” in Travels in Various Countries of the East, ed. R. Walpole, 524-525, London.
Götter, Heroen, Herrscher in Lykien. Katalog zur gleichnamigen Ausstellung auf der Schallaburg von 1990, Wien.
Prochaska, W., M. Seyer & G. A. Plattner. 2014. “Aphrodisischer Marmor am Kenotaph des Gaius Cäsar in Limyra in Lykien,” JÖAI 83, 223-236
Seyer, M. 2016. “The City of King Pericle: Limyra,” in From Lukka to Lycia: The Land of Sarpedon and St. Nicholas, eds. H. İşkan & E. Dündar, 260-273, İstanbul.
Şare, T. 2013. “The Sculpture of the Heroon of Perikle at Limyra: The making of a Lycian King,” Anatolian Studies 63, 55-74.
Petersen, E. & F. Von Luschan. 1889. Reisen in Lykien Milyas und Kibyratis. Reisen im Südwestlischen Kleinasien II, Wien.
Images:
C. R. Cockerell, 1820
E. Petersen & F. Von Luschan, 1889
Limyra Excavation Archive
iDAI Arachne ID:1964349
iDAI Arachne ID:191091
J. Borchhardt, 1974, 1999
J. Borchhardt et al., 1988
Götter, Heroen, Herrscher in Lykien, 1990
N. Başgelen, 2005
J. Borchhardt & A. Pekridou-Gorecki, 2012
W. Prochaska et al., 2014
M. Seyer, 2016
Bora Bilgin, 2022, 2023
Tayfun Bilgin, 2022, 2023
Ertuğrul Anıl, 2023
Reha Özer, 2023