A Majestic Mountaintop Sanctuary of Ancient Gods
Take a Tour of Colossal Statues and Sacred Tombs of Kings and Gods, in Nemrut Mountain of Türkiye
Nemrut MountainThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Mount Nemrut, the site of a monument and temple of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene, is famous for its fascinating statues—which stand up to 32 feet high—and its yards upon yards of inscriptions. It is located near the modern city of Adıyaman.
The mountain was inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.
The Map of Commagene KingdomThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Kommagene was the ancient name of the region between the Southeast Taurus Mountains and the Euphrates River, which covers the cities of Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep in the western part of the Southeastern Anatolia Region. The name has changed over time: the oldest known documents use the name Kummuh.
Mount NemrutThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
The Discovery of Nemrut and the First Archaeological Studies
The sacred area (Hierothesion) on Mount Nemrut was discovered by Karl Sester in 1881. The information provided by Sester attracted the attention of German authorities. The first surveys were conducted by archaeologists Otto Puchstein and Karl Sester in 1882.
Osman Hamdi Bey at Mount NemrutThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Osman Hamdi Bey, who was appointed as the Director of the Müze-i Humayun (the first museum of the Ottoman Empire) in 1881, and Osgan Efendi, the sculptor of the Sanayi-i Nefise School, were assigned to examine the monuments and answer various questions about the Mount.
Osman Hamdi Bey, working during the Nemrut ExcavationThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
This was the first archaeological research conducted by the Ottomans.
Nemrut MountainThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
In the same year, Karl Humann and Otto Puchstein came to Nemrut.
Puchstein translated the ancient Greek inscriptions engraved on the sculpture pedestals, and concluded that the monuments and other ruins were built by the Kingdom of Commagene, which had dominated the region during the Roman period.
The Eastern and Western Terraces, where the King Antiochos I (69-32 BC) erected the statues of the gods, are excellent points for viewing the sunrise and sunset in all their glory.
Nemrut MountainThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Antiokhos I claimed that he was descended from Alexander the Great on his mother's side and from the Persian Emperor Darius on his father's side. His aim was to combine the beliefs, cultures and traditions of his ancestors.
He tried to reform the religion of the time and elevated himself to the level of God-King.
Nemrut MountainThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
He erected imposing godly sculptures weighing about 8-10 tons on the eastern and western terraces. These sculptures were made by processing large stone blocks.
Nomos, Nemrut MountainThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Stone blocks formed the thrones on both terraces where the statues of Gods sit. On the back of these blocks, there is a long cult inscription (nomos) consisting of 237 lines which was written by Antiochos himself. The inscription was the king's testament.
The Eastern Terrace, Nemrut MountainThe Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums of Türkiye
Click here to do a 360° tour in Nemrut Mountain.
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