Obelisk or GaIus CassIus Philis Monumental Tomb

This monumental tomb, which is also known publicly as Standing Stone, Remark Stone is located approximately 5.5 km northwest of İznik. This monumental tomb that currently stands in the agricultural and greenwood fields is located on the road from Nicaea (İznik) to Nicomedia (İzmit) in the Roman Empire Period according to the scientific studies conducted.

As one of the unique, standing monumental tomb in Anatolia, this Obelisk is 12 m high. It has 2 m wide and 3 m high base on 3-step podium. On the base, there is a cornice block with 46 cm-high, palmetto-decorated acroteriums on which triangular pyramidal blocks are located. On the cornice block, there are 5 triangular pyramidal marble blocks rising above and fixed to each other by metal wedges. It is considered that there could be the sixth block or a different material due to the gaps on which metal wedge could be fixed on the top fifth block.

On the tablet, which is located in the west side of the first large stone of Obelisk, the following Greek statement is written in capital letters: Γ ΚΑΣΣΙΟΣ ΦΙΛΙΣΚΟΣ Γ ΚAΣΣΙΟΥ ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙΟΔΟΤΟΥ ΥΙΟΣ ΖΗΣΑΣ ΕΤH ΠΓ (= Γ. ΚάσσιοςΦιλίσκος, Γ. ΚασσίουἈσκληπιοδότου υἱός,ζήσας ἔτη πγʹ). The Turkish translation of the Greek tablet on this monumental tomb is ‘‘Gaius Cassius Philis, son of Gaius Cassius Asclepiodotus, who lived for 83 years, is buried here’’. The tablet contains information about the father, son and death relationship. Cassius was an important family in Nicaea city. It is known from the many tablets in the city that this family supported the construction of a part of Nicaea City Walls and the city gates.

As Nicaea City played a major role for Christianity and was located on the pilgrimage road in the IV century AD, it is believed that the several different cross motives that mostly exist in the west side of the base were drawn by the pilgrims passing through this area during that period of time.