Phrygian tomb turned into café sparks national outrage throughout Turkey

National outrage has erupted in Turkey after a 3,000-year-old Phrygian tomb in Afyonkarahisar province was illegally converted into a café, with operators installing electrical wiring, decorative items, heating stoves, and furniture directly inside the ancient burial chambers that are part of UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List site known as "Mountainous Phrygia," a culturally significant region often compared to Cappadocia with connections to the historical King Midas dynasty.

Illegal Café Conversion Details, no bullet point

The operators of "Taş Bahçe" (Stone Garden) café made extensive unauthorized modifications to the ancient Phrygian tomb in Ayazini village, drilling directly into the 3,000-year-old sacred stone to install electrical wiring and affix decorative items with nails. Transparent doors were added to seal the chambers during winter months, while a wood or coal-burning stove was placed inside for heating—modifications that archaeologists consider particularly egregious given the spiritual significance of burial sites. The business owners even installed a swing outside the monument to attract tourists and openly promoted their alterations on social media, describing the converted tomb chambers as "the glory of the stone rooms." Professor Nevzat Çevik of Akdeniz University's Archaeology Department condemned the conversion, stating that the business owners were fully aware of the tomb's historical value and deliberately exploited it for commercial gain without seeking required permissions from Turkey's Regional Conservation Council.turkiyetoday+1

Phrygian Valley UNESCO Status

The Phrygian Valley, often described as Turkey's "second Cappadocia," was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in 2015 under the name "Mountainous Phrygia." This culturally significant region spans across central Anatolia in the provinces of Eskisehir, Kutahya, and Afyonkarahisar. The area is particularly notable for its ancient rock-cut tombs and historical significance dating back thousands of years, with Ayazini village serving as the heart of Phrygia and a religious center during the Roman and Byzantine periods.whc.unesco+1

The unauthorized conversion of the ancient tomb into a café has raised serious concerns about the protection of this tentative UNESCO site. As part of the nomination process, countries must maintain inventories of properties they intend to consider for World Heritage status, with each site needing to demonstrate outstanding universal value and meet specific criteria for protection. The recent scandal threatens the integrity of the site and potentially jeopardizes Turkey's efforts to secure full World Heritage status for this remarkable archaeological landscape that has witnessed continuous human habitation since the Phrygian civilization.aa+3

Turkish response to the illegal cafe

Following the public outcry over the illegal conversion of the ancient Phrygian tomb into a café, Turkish authorities took swift action. The government launched legal proceedings against the café operators, and the site has since been restored to its original state. Professor Havva İşkan, a prominent Turkish archaeologist, condemned the modifications, stating: "These tombs have deep spiritual value. Drilling into sacred rock to install electricity is appalling. They've unfortunately turned a site of cultural heritage into a theme park."greekreporter+1

This incident highlights the broader challenges facing Turkey's archaeological treasures, particularly in the Phrygian Valley. The region has suffered from neglect, poor road access, inadequate signage, and damage from vandalism and illegal excavations. Local residents have been calling for better protection and restoration of Phrygian monuments, similar to the preservation efforts at other significant Turkish archaeological sites like Göbeklitepe.hispanatolia