Located in the Eskişehir province of Turkey, the Midas Monument is a grand rock-cut façade dating back to around 600 BCE. It stands 17 meters tall and is considered the most magnificent monument among those scattered throughout the Phrygian Valley, a vast region believed to have been the heart of ancient Phrygia. It is the most splendid example of Phrygian rock façades. The monument is situated on a protruding rock mass on the northeastern slope of the Midas City plateau. It was first documented in 1800 by W. M. Leake and his colleagues, who produced a rough sketch of the structure. Despite its inaccuracies, this drawing by G. Koehler holds special significance as the first depiction to provide a general view of Phrygian façades. In 1834, Charles Texier studied the monument and produced a detailed engraving, which remains the first and only accurate and comprehensive depiction of the monument. The name "Midas Monument" derives from the word Midai found in a Phrygian inscription on the smoothed surface of the upper left side of the rock. Locals also refer to it as “Yazılı Kaya” (Inscribed Rock) due to the inscriptions. Both names are still used today. Facing east, the monument measures 17 meters in height and 16.5 meters in width, with a base elevation ranging from 1.20 to 1.80 meters. Its pediment features two opposing semicircular elements (acroters), and the gable and façade wall are richly decorated with geometric motifs. At the center of the monument is a large niche symbolizing a door. This niche was the most sacred part of the structure, where the statue of the goddess Matar was placed during religious ceremonies. There are several Phrygian inscriptions on the monument: First Inscription: Located on the upper left portion of the pediment, carved into the smoothed bedrock. Starting at the left corner, it curves toward the acroters from left to right. It measures 11 meters in length, with letter heights between 0.40 and 0.45 meters. The names Ates and Midai appear in the text. Due to its prominent placement, this inscription is believed to relate to the monument as a whole. Second Inscription: Found on the right side frame of the monument, it is 4.75 meters long, with letters measuring 0.25 meters. Written horizontally from left to right, it occupies the space between the ornamental motifs and the edge of the frame. The word "father" (baba) appears here. This inscription is considered more personal in nature. Third Inscription: Located inside the niche on the left side of the monument. It begins on the left wall of the niche and continues across the back and right walls. Measuring 4.45 meters in length, the letter height ranges from 0.40 to 0.45 meters. These words, though rough and shallow, include references to the Mother Goddess Matar, indicating their religious importance. Additional faint Phrygian words can be seen on both sides of the secondary frame around the niche and at the lower part of the decorations to the right of the niche. Archaeological excavations carried out in front of the monument in 1936 and 1937 uncovered an open-air courtyard (17m x 19m) sloping northward beneath a layer of fill soil reaching up to 3 meters thick. To the south of this courtyard, a flat base carved into the bedrock and four column bases belonging to a colonnaded gallery were discovered. The east-west gallery ends at a large niche to the west. Researchers agree that the site comprised a monumental façade, an open-air courtyard, and a colonnaded gallery, forming a grand open-air cult complex dedicated to the Mother Goddess Matar.
