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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Belevi |
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Type:
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Monument Burial |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Aegean |
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Province:
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Izmir |
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District:
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Selçuk |
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Village:
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Belevi |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Classical |
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| It is located at the Belevi region to the east of a junction, which is 11 km far from Ephesus on the road leading to Izmir [Akurgal 2000:347]. With a core formed by truncating the bedrock, the Tomb Monument at Belevi has a square podium with a side of about 30 m and a height of 12 m, and there is a fake gate on the northern façade facing the Sardis-Ephesus road [Polat 2005:63-64]. The entrance of the burial chamber, which was carved into the bedrock, was from the south, and the gate was hidden by placing blocks covering the podium. The podium terminates with a frieze in Doric order. The cella over the podium was enclosed by a peristyle of 8 or 7x8 Corinthian columns. Part of ceiling cassettes with sculptural decorations were recovered. The roof was finished with a stepped-pyramide appearance similar to the Mausolieum at Halicarnassus [Polat 2005:64]. The upper part of the roof is decorated with sculptured motifs of winged lions and vases while it is believed that the horse figures with uncertain location also stood on the roof. The excavations at the burial chamber yielded a sarcophagus, with a front face looking like a kline and concentric kline furnitures, and a lid with a depiction of a reclining male figure crossing his legs to the left. In addition to that, among the grave finds is a very-well preserved statue, except his right arm and head [Polat 2005:64]. G. Kleiner, who previously analyzed the Tomb Monument at Belevi, dated it to the mid-3rd century BC based on the stylistic characteristics of the reliefs on the ceiling cassettes and Corinthian capitals. G. Kleiner also suggested that the tomb should have belonged to Antiochos II (Theos), a Seleucid king who died in 246 BC in Ephesus [Akurgal 2000:347]. However, G. Polat who made a study on the frieze block with two reliefs at the Museum of Manisa in 2005, revealed that twese two frieze blocks belonged to the Tomb Monument at Belevi, and that Autophradates (374-350 BC), Satrap of Sardis, was buried in that monument [Polat 2005:67-69]. Thus, previously dated to the mid-3rd century BC, the Tomb Monument of Belevi, now, has been dated to the mid-4th century BC based on new data. |
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