Brief History

Mount Nemrut Ruins is located within the borders of Kahta district of Adıyaman. The tombs and monumental statues built on the slopes of Mount Nemrut, which is 2,150 meters high, by the King of Commagene, Antiochos I, to show his gratitude to the gods and ancestors, are one of the most magnificent remains of the Hellenistic Period.

Monumental sculptures are spread over the east, west and north terraces. The well-preserved giant statues are 8-10 meters high, made of limestone blocks. Mount Nemrut Ruins were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.

There is no settlement on the summit of Mount Nemrut, but the tumulus and sacred areas of Antiochos. tumulus: It is the name given to mounds formed by piling up soil containing a grave or cemetery. The tumulus is at a point that dominates the Euphrates River passes and plains. The tumulus, 50 meters high and 150 meters in diameter, where the king's bones or ashes were placed in the room carved into the bedrock, was covered with small rock fragments, and taken under protection. Although it is stated in the inscriptions that the tomb of the king is here, it has not been discovered until today.

On the east and west terraces, there are statues of Antiochos and gods and goddesses, as well as lion and eagle statues. On the west terrace is a unique lion horoscope. The magnificent statues, 8-10 meters high, created by placing 8 chipped stones on top of each other in blocks, start with a lion and an eagle statue and end in the same order. Here, the lion symbolizes the power on earth, and the eagle, the messenger of the gods, symbolizes the power of the sky.

The statues are arranged on both sides as follows:

King 1. Antiochos (Theos);

Fortuna (Theichye-Kommagene-Goddess)

Zeus (Oromasdes);

Apollo (Mithras-Helios-Hermes)

Herakles (Ares-Artagnes)

The model you will examine is a model of the statue of the God Zeus. There is a cone-shaped hat on the head of the statue, which shows Zeus sitting on his throne. Under the hat, you can touch the statue's face and beard. His dress has a collar that looks like a triangle tilted to the right. His hands are placed on his knees, palms facing his body. The skirts of the clothes on it go down to below the knees. Her legs are visible under the skirt. His bare feet, standing side by side on the step of the throne, have lost their sharp lines with the effect of time.