Unique rock tombs disappear

KASTAMONU

The 2,700-year-old rock tombs in the northern province of Kastamonu’s Taşköprü district, which are unique in Türkiye, are disappearing due to neglect.

The rock tombs, which are located in Donalar village, feature animal figures from many civilizations that make them unique in the country.

Studies made by a team inside the rock tomb reveal that the tombs were exploded with concrete breakers and there are cracks and water leakage in the ceiling due to neglect.

The team also detected metallic tools hammered on a tomb which features two lion figures. Determining that the integrity of one of the lions’ body was intact, but the other one was destroyed, the team also encountered areas that had been plundered by treasure hunters and illegally excavated.

Stating that the Donalar Rock Tomb region, which is the only one in Türkiye, was declared as a protected area but it could not be adequately protected, the team noted that the historical region and the animal figures on the tomb began to disappear due to neglect.

Lütfi Gültekin, deputy director of culture and social affairs of Taşköprü municipality, said that the Donalar Rock Tomb is the only one in Anatolia due to its history and the animal figures.

“Kastamonu has many tourist destinations in various fields such as archaeology, nature, gastronomy and faith tourism. In this sense, our region is currently very untouched. At this point, Taşköprü is a capital city in terms of archaeological tourism. The famous ancient city of Pompeiopolis, the capital of Paphlagonia, is located in Taşköprü. In this regard, we are strengthening our archaeological routes. We started working on the rock tombs after completing the tourism routes of Taşköprü, together with the Taşköprü Local Action Group Association, Taşköprü Municipality and Kastamonu University as well as the mountaineering teams.”

“The region where the Donalar Rock Tomb is located is a region of military and has strategic importance. It is opened to the Black Sea through the Küre Mountains in the north. We know that people who live in the villages in the coastal region and Donalar village exchange their products. In this context, our region is very important,” Gültekin said.

Stating that the Donalar Rock Tomb has a history of 2,700 years, Gültekin said, “The Donalar Rock Tomb dates back to the 700th century B.C. It is one and only in Anatolia. The reason is that they feature the eagle of Rome, the lion and the pictures of Hercules from the Hellenistic period, the pictures of the griffon and the winged lions. We can also see the incomplete unicorn. We can see many animal figures such as bull and lion. It carries traces of many civilizations. But unfortunately, the surface of the 2,700-year-old rock tomb has been melting due to acid rains for the last 30 years due to global warming. We are asking for help from the government.”

Apart from this, Gültekin said, there are rock tombs in the city’s villages such as Urgancı, Bademci, Aygır and Akseki.

“There are destinations dating back to the local kingdoms of Paphlagonia. There is a tunnel at the top of the rock tomb, it is reached with a ladder. There is also an Ottoman bath on it. This place actually shows us that it was a residential area,” he added.