Koramaz Vadi̇si̇ Columbarium Mezarlari

Abstract

Kayseri is an important city located at the foot of Mount Erciyes, which is considered to be the center point of Anatolia. Kayseri has been the crossroads of important trade routes in all periods from Kültepe to the present day. Kayseri, has retained its charm during the Roman period and has become an important center. The monumental tombs, city walls and temple ruins dating from Rome to the present day show the importance of the Roman architectural movement in Kayseri. Cremation is an important burial tradition accepted in Rome. This tradition was popularized by mass tombs known as columbarium tombs. Columbarium tombs are mass burial sites that serve a particular public group. Koramaz Valley is a twelve kilometers long earthquake fracture which is located about twenty kilometers to the north east of Kayseri city center and contains many rock tombs, cave churches and villages in which life continues. Twenty-one columbarium tombs and three dovecotes in Koramaz Valley were investigated. In the first part of the study, general history of Kayseri is explained and then Koramaz Valley is mentioned. Later, Roman funeral burial methods are examined, especially cremation burials and columbarium tombs are discussed. Dovecotes and columbarium tombs are often confused, with the fact that almost all of the columbarium tombs were later converted into dovecotes. Consequently, the columbarium tombs of the Koramaz Valley, which are the subject of the study, are examined in detail and the differences between the columbarium tombs and the dovecotes are clearly revealed.