Selimiye Rock Tombs

The most suitable period to visit Selimiye Rock Tombs is spring and autumn. In April-May, the surrounding hills turn green, and the contrast with the rocks creates a highly impressive view for photography. In September-October, the temperatures are milder, allowing you to explore comfortably for longer periods.

If you plan to visit during the summer months, prefer the early morning hours; the rocky area can get quite hot in the middle of the day, and shaded areas are very limited. While the area is open in winter, caution is advised as the ground can become slippery in rainy weather.

If you are starting from Afyonkarahisar city center, you first need to reach the İscehisar district. There are regular dolmuş (minibus) services from the city center to İscehisar. From İscehisar, you can continue to Sarıçayır Village by dolmuş; however, as village dolmuş schedules might be limited, we recommend checking in advance.

The most practical option is to go by private car. Reaching the tombs is quite easy by following the village road via İscehisar. You can get direct navigation by entering the coordinates (38.994906, 30.730133) into navigation apps. While the road is largely asphalt, there might be stabilized sections as you get closer to the village.

The Selimiye Rock Tombs are not a single type of structure; they house various tomb forms belonging to different periods and functions. On the upper surface of the rock, sarcophagus-type tombs from the Late Roman period stand out. These tombs are simple but sturdy structures carved directly from the rock and covered with capstones.

On the eastern part of the rock mass, a much more magnificent architecture awaits you: family burial chambers. On the walls of these chambers, there are three arcosolium, which are trough tombs carved into arch-shaped niches. In the center of the chamber, there are two khamosorion, which are simple trough tombs carved into the floor. The carving craftsmanship at the entrances continues into the interior; this indicates the social status of the families who owned the tombs.

Cisterns and shelters have also been identified in the same rocky area. These findings indicate that the area was not only used as a burial site but also as an integral settlement element within the living arrangements of the period.

Selimiye Rock Tombs is a very fruitful area for photography enthusiasts. The door entrances of the burial chambers offer strong compositions with the texture of the carved stone and geometric framing. Especially in the morning light, the entrances of the family burial chambers on the eastern facade create an impressive sense of depth when framed from inside out or outside in.

If you can climb to the upper part of the rock, you can take wide-angle shots with the surrounding village and agricultural lands. Photographing the sarcophagus tombs carved into the rock surface from above is an effective choice for conveying the scale of the area. During the golden hour, close to sunset, the light falling on the rocks accentuates the texture of the stone.

Since the area is located on open terrain, wearing sturdy walking shoes is important. Rocky surfaces can be slippery, especially when wet. Don't forget to bring enough water; there are no sales points nearby.

You may need to bend when entering the burial chambers, as the door openings are narrow. The interiors are illuminated by natural light; a small flashlight or phone light might be useful for those who want to take photos. Since the area is a registered cultural heritage site, it is important to avoid damaging any structure and not to touch the surfaces inside the tombs.

You can plan a full-day trip by combining Selimiye Rock Tombs with other historical sites in and around İscehisar. In the İscehisar district, Ağınkaya Tombs also contain rock tombs and cisterns from similar periods; it is possible to visit both sites on the same day.

If you are considering a broader itinerary, the Phrygian Valley north of Afyonkarahisar and the rock monuments in the Göynüş Valley can be included in this trip. Phrygian rock monuments like Aslantaş and Yılantaş shed light on the Iron Age, a different period from the Byzantine-Roman layers of Selimiye. This way, you will see thousands of years of Afyonkarahisar's historical layers together in a single travel route.