The present day country of Turkey is home to many well-known megalithic sites such as Gobekli Tepe, Hattusha and Midas Kenti, but it is also home to a much lesser known yet equally impressive ancient site known as “Kapilikaya.”
Located about 27 kilometers north of the city of Corum and hidden away inside a mountainous outcropping is an ancient structure known as the “Tomb of Kapilikaya.”
It is thought to be a tomb of the Hellenistic period, dating back to approximately the 2nd century B.C. 1
Rising above a gentle stream that flows beneath on the forest floor, a steep trail winds up the left side of the rock outcropping and eventually leads to a platform of stairs located directly in front of the tomb. The tomb is not simply a door shaped façade but is actually a cube shaped structure cut out of the mountain, only connecting to the natural rock around it at a few points. From inside you can actually walk all the way around it or climb up onto its top. The inner chamber of the tomb can only be accessed through entering a small square opening about halfway up the face of the structure. An inscription above the entrance reads “IKEZIOS,” 2 which some believe is attributed to an ancient commander named Ikezius.
