Sıkızlar Sculpture Quarry

The site was first noticed in 1966 by the French archaeologist Georges Tchalenko, and subsequently in the 1970s it was surveyed by the Italian expedition working at Tell Mardikh (Ebla). It is located near the Sıkızlar village in northern Syria, roughly 6-7 km south of the Turkish border. Several roughly shaped basalt sculptures are visible on the surface, including a lion statue, three sphinx heads, and some formed blocks. The location was quite likely a sculpture quarry similar to Yesemek and roughly should date to the same period.

The village of Zilfe is just a few kilometers to the east of Sıkızlar. There is an unfinished basalt column base in the shape of a crouching lion in the low basalt hill to the west of the village. It measures about 3.6 meters in length and 1.4 meters in height and has been dated to the 8th century BCE. The location was apparently used as another stone quarry.


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