Midas Monument (Yazılıkaya)
Yazılıkaya, Eskişehir, Turkey
A monumental Phrygian rock-cut façade at the Yazılıkaya/Midas City plateau in Eskişehir Province, Turkey, famous for its geometric decoration, inscription with 'Midai', and a central niche often linked to Mother Goddess (Matar/Cybele) cult practice.
Claims about Midas Monument (Yazılıkaya)
- The Midas Monument is a Phrygian rock-cut façade at Yazılıkaya (Midas City) in Eskişehir, Turkey
- The façade features geometric decoration and a central niche arranged like an architectural front
- Reported dimensions cluster around ~16–18 m high and ~16–16.5 m wide, with modest variation between sources
- The wider Yazılıkaya/Midas City plateau contains additional rock-cut monuments and features, forming part of the 'Mountainous Phrygia' landscape
- The site is carved into a tuff (volcanic) formation, affecting preservation and weathering patterns
- Modern understanding of the monument is shaped by a long documentation history from early travelers to 20th-century archaeologists
- Ongoing research treats Yazılıkaya/Midas Fortress as a ritual and settlement landscape, not just a single isolated façade
Evidence
- Institutional portal describes the plateau geology and size
- Provincial Ministry page reports monument dimensions and orientation
- NIT institutional post highlights Emilie Haspels’ mid-20th century research in the region