There are two places, paramount from the historical point of view, bearing the same name - Yazılıkaya - in the area of Turkey. Not surprisingly, as in Turkish this word means 'inscribed rock' and thus perfectly reflects the character of all the monuments that were created by carving inscriptions in the rock walls. The monument, which is described here, also has two other names - Midas Kenti (Midas City) and Midas Anıtı (Midas Monument), that distinguish it from the Hittite sanctuary of Yazılıkaya, located in the vicinity of Hattusa, in central Anatolia.

Phrygian Yazılıkaya is located in the area of the Phrygian Valley, in Eskişehir Province, on a plateau that also bears the name Yazılıkaya, at an altitude of over 1,300 meters above sea level. The site dominates the plain, rising about 70 meters above the surrounding terrain. It covers an area ​​650 meters long, and 320 meters wide.The most important and the most spectacular structure in Yazılıkaya is called the Midas Monument. It is a beautifully decorated façade, carved into the vertical rock, dating back to the 7th or the 6th century BC. Its appearance resembles an entrance to a temple, but actually only a very shallow niche is carved into the rock. Most probably it used to house a statue of the goddess Cybele, also known among the Phrygians as Matar.

The façade has a square shape with a side length of 16 meters. It is an imitation of the Phrygian megaron, a rectangular structure with a large, deep hall fronted by a much shallower anteroom or porch. The niche, carved into the rock, is surrounded by geometric patterns, evoking the maze. The whole structure was topped was an acroterion, but unfortunately it has not been preserved to our times.

Above the façade, there is an inscription in Old Phrygian, carved into the rock. It states that a certain Ates, perhaps a priest, dedicated this monument to King Midas. Because Phrygia was ruled by several kings bearing this name, the researchers are not able to clearly identify the monarch who was honored by this monument.

Opposite the Midas Monument stands a massive rock formation called Kırkgöz Kayalıkları (i.e. the Rock of the Forty Eyes). It was used in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. A monumental rock tomb from the Hellenistic times is on the east side. It has two chambers, and its vault was originally supported by two pillars, now destroyed. In the Byzantine period, a multi-storied settlement was carved in the rocks, with multiple chambers, passages, and stairways.