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Perrhe (Πέρρη) was a city in the ancient Kingdom of Commagene (Κομμαγηνή), a Greco-Persian kingdom that lasted from 163 BC to 72 AD. It’s located on the northeastern outskirts of Adıyaman in Southeastern Anatolia.
Introduction to Perrhe
Perrhe, also known as Pirin, was one of the four principal cities of Commagene along with Samosata, Marash, and Doliche. It was an important stop for travelers heading over the mountains. The city continued to thrive during the Roman period and well into the Byzantine period. It lost importance in the Middle Ages.
The site was first excavated in 1925 by Swiss anthropologist Eugène Pittard (1867-1962), who discovered a Paleolithic settlement. German archaeologists Friedrich Karl Dörner (1911-1992) and Rudolf Naumann (1910-1996) carried out excavations in 1938 followed by Turkish archaeologist İsmail Kılıç Kökten (1904-1974) in 1945. The Adıyaman Museum later performed extensive excavations of the necropolis between 2001 and 2009. The actual settlement of Perrhe sits underneath the modern village of Örenli.
Perrhe Archaeological Site
The Perrhe Archaeological Site, which is mostly made up of the necropolis, is open daily. At the visitor center, you can watch a short film about the city. There’s also a gift shop and snack bar. After watching the film, you walk down a short path to the site entrance where you pay the admission fee. Admission is €3 for foreigners (as of October 2024).
Necropolis of Perrhe
The archaeological site consists mainly of the necropolis, which was used from the 1st century BC to the 7th century. It contains hundreds of tombs consisting of several different varieties and is the biggest necropolis in the region.
Rock-cut chamber tombs and niche tombs are the most common. Other burial types are khamosorion, hypogeum tombs, loculi, tumuli, freestanding stone sarcophagi, roof-tile tombs, and urns.
Rock-Cut Chamber Tombs
The rock-cut chamber tombs date to the Roman period and were designed as family tombs. The entrances are in the form of arches, rectangles, or triangular pediments. They were usually sealed with stone doors made of a single block opening inwards. Some were sealed from the outside with more blocks.
The number of chambers vary between one and three. The number of burials and interior arrangements also vary. Inside each chamber are rectangular, arcosolium (arched), or triangular niches containing up to three burial basins. The dead would be placed in sarcophagus-shaped basins or beds in each niche.
Some tombs are decorated with reliefs depicting architectural elements such as frames and columns. Others contain altars with reliefs representing the owners of the tombs. There are also small niches for votive offerings in many burial chambers.
Niche Graves with Arcosolium
There are several examples of niche graves with an arcosolium at Perrhe. They were built directly on the faces of rocky areas. They consist of a burial basin carved directly into the bedrock with an arched niche above. The basins were covered with a lid, in most cases a single slab and in others multiple rectangular blocks.
Niche graves are dated to the Roman period. The arcosolium was carved first followed by the niche and then the burial basin. Most of these types of tombs were left undecorated.
Khamosorion
A khamosorion is a sarcophagus carved inside a rock. They were used throughout the Roman and Byzantine periods and can be found individually and in groups at Perrhe. Some were covered with lids while others were covered with multiple blocks. Inscriptions on some khamosoria suggest they were used for multiple burials over time.
Industrial Installations
The north side of the necropolis features industrial installations used between the 4th and 7th centuries. They’re unique in Anatolia. All of the units are open-air and cut into the rock, consisting of a bench-like platform and rectangular basin.
Some examples integrate multiple units with rectangular windows allowing for transition between the units. A handful of units contain press levers suggesting they were used for wine production. Others were likely used to produce paint or leather.
Cistern
A cistern located near the industrial installations supplied water required for both production and grave rituals. The entrance is via a sloping tunnel with 44 steps. It was closed with a rectangular block. The cistern itself is 1.5 x 1.5 meters and shaped like a funnel. Entering the cistern is forbidden for safety reasons.
Stone Quarry at Perrhe
Sometime after the Hellenistic and Roman periods, parts of the necropolis of Perrhe were used as a stone quarry, providing an important source of income for the city.
The blocks extracted at Perrhe were small and of low quality, likely used to produce architectural elements. They were extracted using various methods and tools, including chisels, crowbars, punch hammers, ropes, and beams, and engraved with inscriptions containing information such as names, date of extraction, and destination. The blocks were then transported using sleds or carts. It’s unknown whether they were sold to other cities.
There are still several rock-cut chamber tombs and other types of graves located in the areas used as a quarry. At the bottom are a couple of reliefs and inscriptions on display.
Loop Trail
The boardwalk trail at Perrhe continues uphill behind the necropolis, turns north, and makes its way back around to the necropolis. There’s not much to see up there other than a few more rock-cut tombs. You’ll find a few benches along the path.
Perrhe Settlement
After leaving the Perrhe Archaeological Site, you can head up to the nearby village of Örenli. As previously mentioned, the actual settlement of Perrhe sits underneath the village. It’s just a short drive from the archaeological site and there are a few structures to see.
Roman Fountain
First of all, don’t miss the Roman fountain next to the village mosque. The fountain is partially preserved with 7.75 meters visible today. The water channel is 0.5 meters wide and topped by an arch measuring 3.3 meters. The construction date is unknown but the techniques and masonry indicate it was built during the Roman Imperial period. It met the needs of the city and was also an important caravan stop. The fountain is still in use today.
Unmarked Ruins
Behind the mosque is a small field of ruins. You can spot the foundations and floors of buildings as well as a few column bases and drums. The ruins were unmarked at the time of our visit.
Mosaic
In the field southwest of Örenli is the largest mosaic ever excavated in Adıyaman. It measures 155 square meters and dates to the 5th century. In the center is a wild goat nibbling on grape branches and leaves. A chicken, duck, and dove are also depicted. In 1975, archaeologists Hasan Candemir and Jörg Wagner determined it belonged to a basilica with a 10 meter wide nave flanked by 3 meter wide side aisles. We didn’t make the drive out to the mosaic but spotted the structure protecting it while we were on the loop trail at the archaeological site.
