The mystery of the stone heads on Mount Nemrut Dag. Mount Nemrut - Armenia. The mystery of the stone heads on Mount Nemrut-Dag
After Hasankeyf, we headed towards another interesting attraction - the Nemrut Dağ mountain. On the way, we passed through the city of Diyarbakir, without taking a walk along the ancient fortress wall. We visited the closed university campus and had dinner with a wonderful university teacher. We reached Adiyaman, and were 47 km from the foot of the mountain. Then we took a minibus (dolmushi) to Kyakhta (Kahna). There were 24 km left to the mountain) Before we had time to take our backpacks out of the minibus, a very sociable man approached us and offered us an excursion to Nemrut Dag. We planned to get there on our own, but still, out of curiosity, we followed him. Of course, he began to assure us that we would not be able to get there on our own, at least today. We resisted, especially since the initial price of 40 euros (1,800 rubles) per person was high. But he was ready to bargain and I decided to try) I remembered that many of my auctions in Nepal were very successful) During the bidding process, it became clear that we needed each other and the only question was who would give in first. In the end, we settled on 110 liras (1870 rubles) for two, including camping accommodation. We refused to stay in the room and pitched a tent under a mulberry tree. As a bonus, we received a shower, the ability to charge gadgets and wi-fi. Out of habit, we cooked on our own.
The excursion option we chose included: delivery to the mountain at dawn, an independent walk along it and a self-guided tour of the surrounding area. The entire excursion was planned for 6 hours.
And what interesting things can you see on Mount Nemrut Dag? Here, at an altitude of 2150 m above sea level, there is an amazing “mausoleum”. In the 1st century BC. the tomb of King Antiochus I was built, surrounded by huge statues eight meters high. The edges of the rocky peak have been turned into terraces: western, eastern and northern. After a strong earthquake, the stone heads of the statues “fell from their shoulders” and now stand next to “their bodies.” Photos of these huge heads, in the rays of the dawn or sunset sun, attracted my attention when preparing for the trip. Since 1987, the unique archaeological sites at the top of the mountain have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
May, 23rd
Early rise, at 3.00, quick preparations, and in complete darkness we drove to Mount Nemrug. We drove and realized that getting there on our own would not be easy and would take quite a long time. Sometimes excursions have beneficial features) The car brought us very close to the top; a stone path led up. Of course, we are not alone in our interest in antiquity) Several groups of tourists went up with us.
01. Stone heads before dawn. East terrace
03. Zeus begins to collapse and a frame is made for him
I must say that it was quite cold and windy at the top. Many observers prudently put on down jackets and grabbed blankets.
04. I dressed lightly and was frankly freezing)
05. Other observers)
06. And again stone heads
07. The “bodies” of the statues are visible above
08. Hermes and Hercules
09. Dawn begins, full of drama...)
12. View from the top
13. Transition to the western terrace
15. Antiochus
16. Bar-reliefs of the ancestors of Antiochus
After dawn it became noticeably warmer and looking at the stone sculptures became much more pleasant)
22. Foggy view from the mountain
23. Roman :)
29. Signs to the terraces
We went down to the car waiting for us and drove on. If you wish, here under the mountain you can have a snack in a cafe or buy souvenir stone heads.
30. View from the road.
31. Oleander flowers. The plant is poisonous and is not recommended to eat.
33. Ruins of the Yeni Kale fortress
35. View from the bridge
36. Ruins of the fortress, view from the bridge
37. Cendere Bridge (CENDERE KÖPRÜSÜ)
39. View from the bridge
41. The length of the bridge is 120 m, width 7 m, it consists of 92 stone blocks
42. The bridge offers a beautiful view of the canyon
Karakush tyumulus is a man-made burial mound, similar to the mound on Nemrut. Karakush Tyumulus family cemetery where the women of the royal family are buried. The mound was founded under Mithridates Kalikikos in honor of his mother Isias in the 1st century BC.
43. Eagle statue on the mound
46. Eagle on top of the statue
47. Not very well preserved figure
48. They open from the mound beautiful views
The mound was the last point of our auto-excursion and at about 9 o’clock we returned to the campsite. The excursion turned out to be very interesting and certainly worth the money spent. At the campsite we slept, had lunch, bought souvenir stone heads and moved on. We got to Adiyaman in the back of a truck, in a cheerful company)
Adiyaman was remembered for its heat and delicious juice from mulberries.
56. Delicious mulberries)
57. Local grandfathers:)
We didn't stay long in Adiyaman and continued on our way towards the sea. How can you travel so much around Turkey and still not swim in the sea)
Stay tuned!
panoramas are clickable
Actually, we went on a trip to Eastern Turkey precisely for this place. A year earlier, while traveling around Georgia, we were at the observatory in Abastumani and our guide-astronomer Givi Kimeridze briefly showed a picture giant statues on the mountain against the backdrop of the starry sky. Said: This is in Turkey, a nice place. The old photo stuck in my head so much that when I arrived, I found Mount Nemrut on Google and now we were going to visit it.
You can get to Nerut from Malatya or Adiyaman by taking a dolmush ticket to Kahta. There we decided to spend the night in a hotel, the name of which, luckily for them, I don’t remember. They invited you to their place as if it were the best and most cheap hotel in the city, however, in fact it turned out to be a rather creepy and dirty bedbug infestation, while 200 meters away there was a cozy and cheap teachers house. By the way, teachers' houses are kind of like hotels for government employees. You can stop there and ordinary tourists. A little more expensive, but still very cheap. At the same time, the level of the hotel is quite 3 stars. But we are only in eastern Turkey met. If anyone knows more, please tell me. In general, we doubted for a long time whether to stay in our terrible hotel, then we spat, threw our things, went out, saw the hotel better and returned exactly 10 minutes later with the goal of checking out. It seems, of course, that we are not very consistent, but the administrator at the reception threw us a formal tantrum, demanding to pay for a day for two, because... he has losses because of us. Yeah, losses. We arrived at 10 pm and canceled 10 minutes after checking in, without even registering. In general, there was a terrible and lengthy scene, as a result of which we moved out, the administrator yelled that we would not be accepted in any hotel in the city, we went to the teachers house, but they did not let us in, saying that the hotel owner, it turns out, has connections , he forbids taking his clients and they will have trouble with the measure, because. The administrator just called. As a result, two nice Turkish teachers saved us by directing us to a third hotel that was not involved in the quarrel.
The next morning we went to the mountain. Nemrut-Dag (Nemrut, Nemrud, Turkish. Nemrut Dağ or Nemrut Dağı, Greek. Όρος Νεμρούτ, Armenian. Նեմրութ լեռ, Pers. کوه نمرود, Kurdish Çiyay. ê Nemrûd) is a mountain in the southeast of Turkey in the Taurus Mountains in the Adıyaman silt . Altitude 2150 meters above sea level. In 62 BC. e., King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene from the Armenian Yervandid dynasty built a tomb - a sanctuary surrounded by huge statues 8 - 9 meters high - on the top of Mount Nemrut. The center of the tomb is a mound of small stones, on top of a mountain, 49.8 meters high and 150 meters wide at the base. Under the mound is the tomb of Antiochus I of Commagene (69-38 BC). The edges of the rocky peak on which the tomb is located are turned into large terraces on three sides. Two of them are decorated with five majestic seated statues 8 meters high: in the middle is the figure of Zeus, on the sides the personified “Commagene” and King Antiochus, on the edges are Apollo and Hercules.
King Antiochus was a perky guy with Armenian roots and delusions of grandeur. He claimed that his mother came from the family of Alexander the Great, and his father was a descendant of the Persian king Darius. He himself wanted to become famous no less than the Macedonian and did not come up with anything better than to create his own religion with himself at the head. In this religion, he tried to combine the traditions of the gods of the West (Greek) and the East (Zoroastrianism) and, like the kings of antiquity, ordered himself to be deified. He ordered his will to be engraved on the wall of the temple, which was supposed to immortalize his name: “My birthday should be celebrated every year and every month. On these days, let the chief priest burn incense in honor of the gods and me, and put the most exquisite dishes and wines on the festive tables, and let him drive cattle for sacrifice. My subjects gathered here must taste everything, and let there be a holiday.”
In principle, there is a version that this whole thing was built by aliens, because how could ancient people drag it to such a distance? high mountain 8-9 meter statues. But, in my opinion, although this entire sanctuary looks very impressive, the issues of complexity of construction disappear when you have slaves.
Like the Egyptian rulers, Antiochus built a kind of pyramid in the center of the tomb - a 50-meter mound of stones. However, the greatness of this project lies in the fact that the mound crowned a 2-kilometer mountain.
Terrace overlooking east side most revered; here, in addition to mystical statues, there is an altar in the form of a stepped pyramid and a stone wall. The ledges in the west and east of the tomb are connected by a gallery, at the entrance of which huge stone eagles sit. On the eastern terrace, in addition to the main altar, five wonderful, 8-9 m high, throne statues of King Antiochus I and the Greek, Western Asian and Iranian gods - Zeus-Ahuramazda, Apollo-Mithras-Helios, Artagenes-Heracles-Ares and the goddess Tyche of Commagene - have been preserved. Each statue was guarded by statues of lions and eagles standing on its sides. Nearby are four monumental reliefs depicting the king and four gods, as well as a relief with a horoscope, where the deified ruler is placed in the constellation Leo.
The mountain offers superb views of the Ataturk Reservoir. By the way, the third largest “lake” in Turkey.
The pyramid hill apparently contains the tomb of Antiochus, although archaeologists have still not been able to discover it. The lower part of the hill was surrounded by a stone wall, along the top of which there was a road for ceremonial processions, connecting three terraces located on the sides of the hill - from the east, west and north. For unknown reasons, the northern terrace remained unfinished, while the western and eastern were built according to a single plan, with the only difference being that on the eastern there was a huge stone altar (apparently intended for performing ceremonial sacrifices in the light of rising sun).
Statues western terrace are in much worse condition. On both terraces, six reliefs of the royal ancestors of Antiochus I also survived. Even today, fragments of these huge sculptures amaze tourists.
One interesting feature complex is the position of the gods. In both Greek and Persian culture, it was customary for statues of gods to stand. In exceptional cases - in the named temples of one or another god - the deity was given the right to sit on the throne. On Mount Nemrut-Dag the gods sit on their thrones, because, according to Antiochus, it was here that the gods found their refuge.
In the first picture are Hercules and Apollo, in the second are Apollo and Seryozha.
Located in southeast Turkey mountain range Nemrut-Dag (Nemrut, Nemrud, Nemrut Dağ) is a cult symbol of the Hellenistic period. In the 1st century BC. e. here, at an altitude of 2150 meters above sea level, the tomb of Antiochus I Epiphanes was built, surrounded by statues eight meters high. The sanctuary is an eclectic monument of the Commagene kingdom, clearly illustrating the succession of kings in the dynasty.
Reflected in two versions of the legend - ancient Greek and Persian - the genealogies are reminiscent of the dual nature of the culture of the kingdom, in the pantheon of gods of which one can find Zeus, Apollo and Hercules, as well as the figures of a lion and an eagle. In 1987, the archaeological sites at the top of Mount Nemrut Dag were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The best time to visit Nemrut Dag is from late May to early September, when pleasant warm weather sets in in the Taurus Mountains. Visit an iconic landmark late autumn And in early spring is complicated by low temperatures, and in winter by the abundance of snow that covers even the tallest sculptures. The only way to climb the mountain at this time of year is on skis. In the summer months, if you wish, you can watch the sunrise at Nemrut Dag by staying here overnight. However, even from June to August it is quite cold at night at higher elevations; You should take care of warm clothes in advance.
You can stay near Mount Nemrut-Dag in the village of Karadut, located 7 kilometers to the southeast. Guesthouses are located here guest houses And family hotels, whose owners organize excursion trips to the mountain accompanied by a local guide. You can also spend the night in Kahta and Adıyaman, 47 km southwest of the mountain.
How to get there
The city of Kyakhta, closest to Mount Nemrut-Dag, is located 24 kilometers to the south-west. Bus service connects Kyakhta with the cities of Adiyaman (travel time is about half an hour) and Malatya (Malatya, 55 km to the northeast, two and a half hours drive). They go from Adiyaman to Kyakhta about once every half hour minibuses"dolmush". The last dolmush from Kyakhta to the village of Karadut leaves at approximately three o'clock in the afternoon.
You can also get to Kyakhta from the city of Urfa (Şanlıurfa, 92 km to the south), from whose intercity bus terminal dolmushi run from early morning until about seven in the evening (travel time is about two and a half hours). In addition, direct bus services to Kyakhta depart from the city of Kayseri, which is located in Cappadocia, 300 km northwest of Nemrut Dag.
From Kyakhta you can get to Nemrut-Dag by dolmus and taxi from dawn to dusk. Drivers often act as guides, leading a short excursion through the picturesque surroundings. The climb up the mountain takes about half an hour; You should take care of comfortable shoes and clothes in advance.
Location
The Nemrut Dağ mountain range is located in the Taurus Mountains, within the Adiyaman silt, in the southeast.
At an altitude of 2,134 meters above sea level, on the top of Mount Nemrut Dag, lies one of the most impressive and equally mysterious sights of Turkey - the sanctuary of the ancient gods of the Commagene kingdom. This archaeological site is one of the most ambitious structures of the Hellenistic period.
Now Mount Nemrut or Nemrut Dag (Turkish Nemrut Dağı) is located in the southeast of modern Turkey in the Taurus Mountains, 40 km north of Kakhta, near Adiyaman. Not to be confused with the Nemrut Dag volcano (also located in Turkey). And in the 2nd-1st centuries BC, Mount Nemrut was located on the territory of the small kingdom of Commagene.
The independent Kingdom of Commagene arose during the collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great. The Commagenes bordered the Seleucid Empire on one side and the Parthian Empire on the other. In 80 BC, as the Seleucid Empire became weaker, the governor of Commagene declared the independence of his kingdom. Soon after, the Roman ally Mithridates I Kalinikos proclaimed himself king, founding the short-lived dynasty of rulers of Commagene.
Tumulus Mountains Nemrut in 2000 (Başgelen, 2000) Mithridates I died in 64 BC. e., he was replaced on the throne of Commagene by his son, Antiochus I Theos, and ruled for 26 years. Antiochus I of the Armenian Yervandid dynasty, had Persian and Greek roots, and claimed to be a descendant of the great kings Darius and Alexander the Great. He proclaimed himself equal to the gods, and perhaps, in order to consolidate this statement in the minds of his subjects, he ordered the construction of a grandiose sanctuary on the top of Nemrut Dag, which had no analogues in the world, where the statue depicting Antiochus I was on an equal footing among the statues of other gods of the Commagene kingdom.
After the death of Antiochus I, during the frequent changes of power by the puppet rulers of Rome, the sanctuary was forgotten. The next mention of Mount Nemrut and the sanctuary on its top corresponds to the times of the Crusades in Asia Minor. The Crusaders discovered Nemrut Dagi and the sanctuary, but with their departure from the coast Mediterranean Sea, Mount Nemrud was again consigned to oblivion.
Statues and their bases found on the eastern terrace (Humann and Puchstein, 1890, V.2, Group 24) At the time of its discovery in 1881 by German scientists, with a sanctuary on the top of a mountain, it was known only to local shepherds. Due to inaccessibility and heavy climatic conditions the first expedition was unable to study this place in detail. It was only in 1953 that Nemrut Dag was explored by German and American archaeologists. For five seasons they cleared and studied the dilapidated sanctuary of the Commagene kingdom. You can read more about the stages of research on Mount Nemrut.
Dilapidated sanctuary of the Commagene kingdom on Mount Nemrut Photo: Martin Gray The origins of the kings of Commagene, which can be traced through two sets of legends, Greek and Persian, testify to the dual origins of the culture of this kingdom. The sanctuary was built following the principles of syncretism inherent in the culture and religion of Commagene. Syncretism is especially evident in the mixture of Greek, Persian and Anatolian aesthetics in the sculptures and bas-reliefs of Mount Nemrut.
Cone-shaped stone mound and heads of Nemrut Dag statues The dominant structure is hierothesy ( sacred place) is a cone-shaped mound, rising 50 meters, and with a diameter of 150 meters at the base. The mound consists of countless small fist-sized pieces of white limestone. According to one version, the mound may be the burial place of Antiochus I. But this version does not have reliable confirmation, as well as refutations. All attempts to penetrate inside the mound and find the king’s tomb have so far been unsuccessful. But the purpose of this large-scale structure still remains a mystery.
Plan diagram of the sanctuary of Mount Nemrut On three sides of the mound, terraces are carved directly into the Nemrud rock - northern, western and eastern. The northern terrace has suffered the most from time to time, practically not retaining its former grandeur. The eastern terrace contains a large platform, five colossal statues, a pyramidal fire altar and the remains of several walls. The statues of Mount Nemrut, each 8-10 meters high, still amaze with their grandeur. The figures are made of massive limestone blocks, and depict the four ancient gods of the Commagene kingdom, and the ruler of Commagene, Antiochus I. On both sides of the statues of the gods there were statues of a lion and an eagle - the guardians of the sanctuary.
Stone heads of statues of ancient gods. A feature of the Nemrut Dag pantheon is that all the gods are depicted sitting on thrones, and not standing, as was customary in Hellenistic culture. Eastern religion generally prohibits statues depicting gods. The faces of the statues are made in the Hellenistic style, but the sculptures of all the gods, including the statue of Zeus, and Antiochus I himself, wear tall Persian tiaras (headdress) on their heads. The inscription on the statues reads: “Here is the home of the Gods, and here are their heavenly thrones.”
Head of the statue of Antiochus I Theos The statues of the ancient gods of Nemrut Dag represent:
- Antiochus I Theos
- Tyche - aka Fortuna - goddess of fate, luck and chance
- Zeus - aka Oromazdes (Ahura Mazda)
- Apollo - aka Mithra - Helios - Hermes
- Hercules - aka Artagnes - Ares
Head of the statue of the goddess Tyche - Fortuna 
Head of the statue of the god Zeus - Oromazdes - Ahuramazda Another mystery of the Mount Nemrut sanctuary is that not a single sculpture of the gods managed to keep their heads on their shoulders. The first expedition of archaeologists in 1881 discovered only one statue with a head - it was a sculpture of the goddess Tyche, but later she also lost her head as a result of an earthquake. The heads of the remaining statues were found at their base. After clearing the area, archaeologists installed them on the site in front of the sculptures.
Head of a statue of the god Apollo There is no reliable evidence of how the statues lost their heads. According to one version, the sculptures of the sanctuary could have been destroyed by warriors who captured these territories. According to another version, the sculptures were destroyed under the influence of earthquakes, which are quite frequent in this region. But thanks to the virtual reconstruction of LSInc, we can imagine what the pantheon of Commagene gods looked like in its original form.
Nemrut Dag is a mountain located in the southeastern part of Turkey in the Adiyaman province, 96 km from the city of Malatya. Nemrut belongs to the East mountain range Taurus and is located at an altitude of 2150 m above sea level. Uniqueness natural object primarily lies in the ancient buildings and stone sculptures of the Hellenistic period preserved on its territory. In 1987, the ancient buildings of Nemrut Dag, due to their undeniable cultural value, were included in the list world heritage UNESCO.
Today, Nemrut Dag is one of the most visited attractions in southeastern Anatolia. Although most often the residents of Turkey themselves come here, the monument is attracting more and more interest from foreign travelers every year. To realize the full value mountain peak, it is important to turn to the history of the origin of her unusual sculptures and designs.
Historical reference
Antiochus I After the collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great in the 2nd century BC. in the area where Mount Nemrut is located, a small state called Commagene. The founder of this ancient Armenian kingdom was a native of the Ervanduni dynasty named Ptomelius of Commagene. In 86 BC. His descendant Antiochus I comes to power in the empire - an energetic young man with high ambitions, often flowing into real delusions of grandeur. The ruler claimed that he came from the family of Alexander the Great, and with frantic zeal he tried to achieve the same glory as the great commander.
At the height of his madness and selfishness, Antiochus I decided to create a new religion that incorporated the traditions of Western Greek and Eastern Persian beliefs. The ruler declared himself the god of the Commagene kingdom and the main deity of the newly created faith. In 62 BC. Antiochus I ordered the construction of a tomb for himself on the top of Mount Nemrut. Following the example of Egyptian burial structures, the tomb was built in the shape of a pyramid. The outside of the sanctuary was decorated with stone sculptures of Greek and Persian deities ranging from 8 to 10 m in height. It is noteworthy that the statue of Antiochus himself was installed on equal terms among the sculptures of other gods.
Soon after the death of the ruler, the Roman Empire took possession of the lands of the Kingdom of Commagene, and the tomb was completely forgotten. Only in 1881 did German researchers manage to discover a lost historical complex, which at that time was known to only a few local residents. In 1953, on the top of Nemrut, the Germans, in a team with American scientists, staged a grandiose archaeological excavation, cleared and studied all the monuments of the mountain. Thanks to their efforts, any traveler can now visit the ancient complex in Turkey and touch the sculptures, which are more than 2000 years old.
What can you see on the mountain today
Currently, on Mount Nemrut Dag in Turkey, the ruins of a once majestic tomb have been preserved, the analogues of which have still not been found throughout the world. Scientists have not been able to name the exact reason for the destruction of this monument. Some of them believe that it was damaged by the numerous earthquakes that characterize the region. Others suggest that the damage to the object could have been caused by one of the foreign invaders. Nevertheless, individual fragments of the tomb have survived to this day in good condition. What can you see on the mountain?
The territory of the historical complex on Nemrut Dag is divided into three sections. Northern part The monument is completely destroyed and is of no interest. But among the ancient buildings of the eastern section there is a well-preserved pyramidal mound, 50 m high and 150 m wide. Presumably, this is where the body of Antiochus I was buried, but there is still no evidence to support this theory.
The statues of gods decorating the tomb have suffered serious damage over the centuries: without exception, all the sculptures sitting on the throne have lost their heads. Scientists who examined the monument found and cleared the missing parts and lined them up at the foot of the tomb. Among them are the heads of Hercules, Zeus, Apollo, the goddess of fortune Tyche and Antiochus I himself. Here you can also look at the faces of lions and eagles standing on the sides.
An interesting fact is that previously it was customary to depict statues of Greek and Persian gods in a standing position. Only occasionally, in temples dedicated to a particular deity, were sculptures installed in a sitting position. As we have already indicated, at the tomb of Antiochus all the gods are depicted seated on a throne, and this position was not chosen by chance. Thus, the ruler of Commagene wanted to show that the great gods found their abode precisely on the mountain near his tomb.
Some of the ancient monuments are located in the western section: these are statues of the same deities and animals of smaller sizes, as well as bas-reliefs with their images. The bas-relief with the figure of a lion, decorated with 19 stars and a crescent, is especially well preserved. Researchers are confident that it encrypts the date of construction of the ancient complex (62 BC)
In addition to architectural artifacts, Mount Nemrut in Turkey is famous for its breathtaking panoramas. Particularly beautiful views can be seen here during sunrise and sunset. But even in the daytime, local landscapes appear as bright pictures of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
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How to get there
The road to the mountain is quite difficult and takes a lot of time. Adiyaman Province in Turkey, where Nemrut Dag is located, includes capital of the same name, in which the airport closest to the facility is located. The distance between them is about 60 km. Several airline flights depart from Istanbul Airport to Adiyaman every day Turkish Airlines. You can also get to the city from Ankara Airport once a day.
Upon arrival at air harbor Adiyaman, you need to go to the city station, from where minibuses depart once every half hour to Kakhta, the largest major city closest to the mountain. settlement(the distance between Nemrut-Dag and Kakhta is almost 54 km). And already at the bus station of this city you can catch dolmus all the way to the mountain. The minibus will take you to the mountain rise, from where you will only have to walk to the top.
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