Archaeologists excavating the ancient coastal city of Olympos in Türkiye have uncovered a nearly 10-meter-tall Roman tomb containing a marble sarcophagus carved with hunt imagery and depictions of Nike and Eros.

According to Hürriyet Daily News, the tomb was discovered in Olympos' harbor district during ongoing excavations backed by Türkiye's Culture and Tourism Ministry through its "Heritage for the Future" project.

Archaeologists described the structure as a monumental, vaulted burial chamber and said it is the third tomb of its kind identified at the site.

Inside, the team found an elaborately worked marble sarcophagus believed to have belonged to a high-status woman from the Roman era.

10-meter monumental tomb in Türkiye's ancient Olympos reveals sarcophagus linked to aristocratic woman, decorated with hunting, Nike and Eros motifshttps://t.co/mKODVHBbBz

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The artwork includes hunt imagery and representations of Nike and Eros, motifs linked in Roman burial art to rank, eternal life, and elite status.

While the upper portions survived, the lower section had shattered into roughly 50 fragments.

Olympos is already known for combining archaeological ruins with forests, beaches, and the Mediterranean coastline.

As new discoveries emerge, the site is attracting greater interest from travelers seeking lower-key, nature-oriented tourism rather than large resort experiences.

Restoration work on the damaged sarcophagus has already begun.

Gökçen Kurtuluş Öztaşkın, head of the Olympos excavations, described the process as a careful, "puzzle-like" reconstruction intended to prepare the restored artifact for display.

That effort builds on a restoration completed last year, when archaeologists found two other sarcophagi in 722 total pieces.

Those pieces were successfully reassembled and exhibited.

Excavations are also making the site more visible and interactive for visitors.

Tourists heading to the beach already pass through the ancient city, seeing stone paths, tombs, and Roman-period ruins before reaching the water.

Nearby destinations such as Çıralı, Adrasan, and Yanartaş add to the area's appeal, while local tourism operators are preparing for a busy summer season.

"Each grave contains stories belonging to Olympos," Öztaşkın said, per Hürriyet Daily News. "Burial traditions reveal the practices of life in antiquity while also helping modern visitors establish a connection with the region."

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