Urumkuş Rocks Explained

Urumkyş Rocks
Native Name:Urumkuş Kayalıkları
Map Type:Turkey
Relief:yes
Coordinates:39.2929°N 30.4876°W
Map Dot Label:Urumkuş Rocks
Location:Döğer, İhsaniye, Afyonkarahisar
Region:Aegean
Type:Tuff rock-cut dwellings and sacred places
Material:Tuff rock
Cultures:Phrygşan and Byzantine period

Urumkuş Rocks (Turkish: Urumkuş Kayalıkları) are natural tuff rock formations located in Afyonkarahisar Province, western Turkey, which were used historically as dwelling and sanctuary.

Urumkuş Rocks are situdated in the Alanlı area, northeast at Döğer town in İhsaniye District of Afyonkarahisar Province.

The rock formation has quite steep sides. There are rock-cut dwellings and a chapel on one of the two large cliffs. On the other rock, there are only burial chambers. At the entrances of the burial chambers, reliefs as well as figures made with madder are found that belong to the Byzantineperiod. There are traces of foundations carved into the rock, niches, sacrificial pools, rock altars and cairns on the top and sides of the rock. This shows that the rock was used as a sanctuary and perhaps a residential area during the Phrygian period.