Architecture, funerary structures and cult sites in Turkish Thrace

Excavations have been carried out at three Early Iron Age sites in Turkish Thrace. The Kilisetepe and Menekşe Çatağı Mounds of Maydos are located on the southern coastal line of the region, while the Aşağıpınar Mound is in the centre. The characteristic architecture of the region can only be defined by the few architectural finds from these sites. What we know about the burial tradition comes from the largely destroyed dolmen structures and the Taşlıcabayır Tumulus excavated in Kırklareli. Nevertheless, our recent investigations have led us to propose some hypotheses about the funerary structures and practices of the region. These studies have led to new ideas about the chronology, phases and role of the Taşlıcabayır Tumulus in social communication during the period. This article summarises these hypotheses. Among the studies carried out since the 2000s on the findings that shed light on the cult practices of Turkish Thrace, the rock-carved spaces called "Fırınkayalar", which are among the most striking elements, have been particularly addressed in this study and it has been tried to develop suggestions about the function of these unique structures based on cult and funerary practices in the north of Thrace.