Yusuf ALBAYRAK

Bahattin ÇELİK

40 km from Sanliurfa Province. Tektek mountains, located to the east and southeast, consist of hills consisting of limestone plateaus in the north-south direction that limits the eastern part of the Harran Plain. From the Paleolithic period on the Tek Tek Mountains there have been many settlements. The most important of these centers is the ancient city of Sogmatar, a sacred area during the Roman period, as well as a necropolis area. The rock Tombs, which were numbered 72 in the Sogmatar Ancient City necropolis, were first carved from the limestone bedrock in the Early Bronze Age and were reused in the Roman period. In order to demonstrate the effect of such an important center on the surrounding area, surveys were carried out in rural areas in the vicinity of Soğmatar and rock tombs were identified in most of the villages. These rock tombs are generally with oneroomed and dromos. In some tombs, the dramos are made with stairs and in some graves are flat. All these tombs are similar to the Roman period rock tombs in Soğmatar. In addition, similar resemblances of Cylinder Planned Tombs in Soğmatar were determined. Cylinder Planned monumental tombs on the top of the rock tombs on the top of the tombs ranging from 5-7 m in diameter planned structures were made. Sometimes the grave is placed inside these structures, but mostly limestone rocks under rounded structures are carved rock tombs are made. We see that the people who came to the vicinity of Soğmatar for settlement purposes used the Soğmatar as a sacred area and necropolis area and built tombs similar to the rock tombs in Soğmatar to the villages where they settled. The rock tombs in the Necropolis and the Necropolis of the Kızılkoyun Necropolis in the city center of Şanlıurfa show the similarity to the rock tombs of Soğmatar and its surroundings.

Key Words: Soğmatar, Rock Tombs, Roman Age, Necropolis, Mausoleum.