Famous Sarcophagi Witnesses by Konya

The world-famous sarcophagi (caskets) in the inventory of various museums in Türkiye are shown among the must-see artifacts of the country.

Anatolian geography, where great civilizations lived in history, hosts the ruins of different periods. Anatolia is an open-air museum with ancient cities, places of worship, theaters, towers, castles, palaces, bazaars, monuments and monasteries that have preserved their splendor for thousands of years.

Among these unique artifacts that Türkiye owns and sheds light on the history of world culture and art, spellbinding sarcophagi also hold an important place.

These sarcophagi, which were carved from various metals such as stone and marble to preserve the dead, date back to ancient history. They feature relief statues of the dead and decorations. Political and religious narratives are also depicted on the sarcophagi decorated with artistic motifs. Therefore, these art pieces provide important information about the period they were made.

Museums in various cities of Türkiye host world-famous examples of sarcophagi that have been preserved in their original form.

Konya also witnessed these famous sarcophagus examples;

Sidamara Sarcophagus: Sidamara, one of the sarcophagi carrying the immortal details of history and art, has been on display in Istanbul for 121 years. The artifact, which was found in the Ambar village on the Konya-Ereğli Karaman road, can be seen today in Istanbul Archeology Museums. The Sidamara Sorcaphagus dates back to the second-third century A.D. It is the world's heaviest sarcophagus weighing 32 tons. On the lid of the sarcophagus, made of white marble, the person who is thought to be the owner and his wife are depicted half lying down. There are two Eros depictions at the feet and head of these two figures. There is also a depiction of the struggle of Eros with animals such as lions, bears and panthers. Sidamara Sarcophagus and its Eros head, which have been separated for more than 100 years, were reunited on June 10, 2022. As a result of the cooperation with the British Victoria and Albert Museum, the head of Eros has been relocated to where it belongs.

Heracles Sarcophagus: The Heracles Sarcophagus in Konya Archaeological Museum was found in 1958 during a construction. The sarcophagus, which is shown as the best example of the Heracles sarcophagi made in high relief technique in Anatolia, is thought to belong to one of the notables of the ancient city of Pappa. The deceased person is depicted on the narrow side of the sarcophagus, and mythological stories about Heracles are depicted on the other three sides.