Mount Nemrut Archaeological Sitevisitor guide.

NEMRUT The extraordinary monumental sculptures on the slopes of Mount Nemrut are located in the Kahta district of Adıyaman. These magnificent Hellenistic remains, spread across Nemrut's East, West, and North terraces at an elevation of 2,206 meters, form a breathtaking spectacle. Built of limestone blocks by King Antiochus I of Commagene to show gratitude to the gods and his ancestors, the well-preserved 8–10 meter statues were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. The independent kingdom established in Commagene by Mithridates I rose to prominence during the reign of his son Antiochus I (62–32 BC). Its independence ended after defeat in the war with Rome in 72 AD. SCULPTURES UNITING CIVILIZATIONS The sculptures bridge East and West, as Antiochus I traced his lineage to Hellenic descent through his mother and Persian ancestry through his father. Following the disappearance of the Commagene Kingdom from history, the site was abandoned to solitary silence for nearly two millennia. Osman Hamdi Bey, director of the Imperial Museum (Müze-i Hümayun), worked at Nemrut with a team in 1883. After World War II, American archaeologist Theresa Goell and German scholar Karl Doerner conducted excavations and research. The East and West Terraces feature statues of Antiochus, gods, and goddesses, alongside guardian lions and eagles. The West Terrace includes a relief horoscope with a lion. As the sacred center where sunrise is greeted, the East Terrace preserves the foremost sculpture and architectural remains. Facing the rising sun, the statues of the king and deities sit in rows upon approximately 10-meter-high thrones. THE COMMAGENE KING'S TESTAMENT The statues stand in sequence: the guardian eagle representing celestial dominion and the guardian lion representing earthly dominion, followed by King Antiochus I, Commagene (Tyche), Zeus-Oromasdes, Apollo-Mithras, and Heracles-Artagnes. Behind the thrones is King Antiochus's 237-line religious and social testament (Nomos). To the north and south of the terrace stand relief stelae depicting kings of Commagene's Persian lineage. Before the statues stands a fire altar flanked by a seated lion. On the North Terrace, a 180-meter ceremonial path connecting the East and West terraces, unfinished stelae and plinths remain. WHILE YOU ARE HERE Do not miss the Mount Nemrut Tumulus commanding the passes and plains of the Euphrates River. Inscriptions state that the monument tomb of Antiochus I lies here. Covering a chamber cut into bedrock holding the king's remains, the tumulus rises 50 meters with a 150-meter diameter, formed of 30,000 cubic meters of crushed stone protected under rock gravel. DOWNLOAD MUSEUM BROCHURE NEARBY MUSEUMS ADIYAMAN MUSEUM ARSEMEIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE YENİKALE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE PERRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE SOFRAZ MONUMENT TOMB