Tomb Niches in Rough Cilicia

The niches found in different places and in various size were hollow spaces considered as a door of the house of God. But all niches weren’t cut or built for cult. There are niches both in and out of the tombs. They were important for tombs. We know that there were a lot of tombs without niches in Rough Cilicia. They were built or cut for cult, for putting a present for dead person or his bust in it, for an oil lamp to light the tomb, and for a pot of cremation. Furthermore, they had a symbolic meaning and they are used widely. In the ancient times, it was very important to visit the tombs. The ceremonies were held annually near the entrance of the tombs. These niches, built or cut on the lateral walls of the first room, must have been used for different functions at the determined period. Niche of rock cut tomb spread from the Urartian to the other ancient Anatolian Civilizations with rock cut tomb continued also in monumental tombs, tombs with dromos and hipoje tombs. We can say that the examples seen in Rough Cilicia are an Anatolian tradition and they are similar to those built or cut in Hellenistic and Roman Imperial Period. However, there are niches carrying regional characteristics. Even if they have been found in different forms and size, their functions and interpretation don’t change. The tomb was considered as the house of the dead and built with this aim. So, some other spaces were created within the tombs to give more details on the life of the dead, and his/her beliefs. One of them is niche. Although niches were simple and striking, their functions are important.