Mount Nemrut - Armenia. Mystery of stone heads on nemrut-dag mountain in turkey nemrut mountain armenia

At an altitude of 2,134 meters above sea level, on the top of Mount Nemrut Dag, there is one of the most impressive and equally mysterious sights of Turkey - the sanctuary of the ancient gods of the Komagene 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 in the southeast 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 2-1 centuries BC, Mount Nemrut was located on the territory of the small kingdom of Kommagene.

The independent Kingdom of Commagene was born during the collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great. The Commagens bordered the Seleucid Empire on one side and the Parthian Empire on the other. In 80 BC, when 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, establishing a short dynasty of rulers of Commagene.

Mithridates I died in 64 BC. BC, on the throne of Kommagene he was replaced by his son - Antiochus I Theos and ruled for 26 years. Antiochus I of the Armenian Ervandid 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 to erect a grandiose sanctuary on the top of Nemrut Dag, which has no analogues in the world, where the statue depicting Antiochus I was on equal terms 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 at its top corresponds to the times crusades to Asia Minor. The crusaders discovered Nemrut Dagi and the sanctuary, but with their departure from the coast Mediterranean Sea, Mount Nemrud was once again consigned to oblivion.

At the time of its discovery in 1881 by German scientists, with a sanctuary on the top of the mountain, it was known only to local shepherds. Due to the inaccessibility and heavy climatic conditions the first expedition was unable to study this place in detail. And only in 1953 German and American archaeologists investigated Nemrut Dag. For five seasons, they cleared and studied the dilapidated sanctuary of the Commagene kingdom. You can read more about the stages of exploring Mount Nemrut.

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 Kommagen. Syncretism is especially evident in the mixture of Greek, Persian and Anatolian aesthetics in the sculptures and bas-reliefs of Mount Nemrut.

The dominant structure is hierothesis ( sacred place) is a cone-shaped mound, towering 50 meters, and 150 meters in diameter at the base. The mound is made up of countless small, fist-sized chunks of white limestone. According to one of the versions, the mound may be the burial place of Antiochus I. But this version has no reliable confirmation, as well as the actual refutation. All attempts to get inside the mound and find the tomb of the king have so far been unsuccessful. And the purpose of this large-scale structure is still a mystery.

On three sides of the mound, right in the rock of Nemrud, terraces are carved - northern, western and eastern. North terrace suffered the most from time to time, practically not preserving its former greatness. The east 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, amaze with their grandeur even now. The figures are made of massive limestone blocks and depict the four ancient gods of the Kommagene kingdom, and the ruler of Commagene, Antiochus I. On either side of the statues of the gods there were statues of a lion and an eagle - the guardians of the sanctuary.

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 high Persian tiaras (headdress) on their heads. The inscription at the statues reads - "Here is the home of the Gods, and here are their heavenly thrones."

The statues of the ancient gods Nemrut Dag represent:

• Antiochus I Theos
• Tyche - she is Fortune - the goddess of fate, luck and chance
• Zeus - aka Oromazdes (Ahura Mazda)
• Apollo - aka Mithra - Helios - Hermes
• Hercules - aka Artagn - Ares

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 lost her head as a result of an earthquake. The heads of the rest of the statues were found at their foot. After clearing the territory, archaeologists installed them on the site in front of the sculptures.

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 the soldiers who seized 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 the Commagene gods looked like in its original form.

In the southeastern part of Turkey, somewhere in the middle between the major cities of Malatya and Adiyaman, there is one place that is quite rarely visited by both civilized tourists and independent travelers. Meanwhile, this natural and historical attraction deserves (in my opinion) compulsory attendance- and if you suddenly find yourself in those parts, I strongly recommend making at least a one-day trip there.

The place is called Nemrut Dagi National Park, or simply Nemrut. And the mesmerizing peak of the mountain of the same name not only rises above the surroundings to a height of 2,150 meters, but also hides in itself unique monuments carved from stone by ancient architects more than 2,000 years ago.

When I got to the provincial capital big city Adiyaman, the first thing he did was visit the local office tourist information, in which I learned about this main local attraction. After asking in detail about the national park itself and the ways to get to it (and at the same time taking a break from the rather tangible heat that reigned in southern Turkey even at the end of October), I soon found myself on the highway and moved towards the intended goal.

On the very first typewriter, I got to the intermediate stop - the town of Kyakhta, and there I stopped a Ford minibus stuffed with wooden boxes with large green apples. Behind the wheel was a young guy, about my age, named Mehmet, who turned out to be a very agile and enterprising businessman. He had his own department store, such as our "walking distance" in his native village, and he was also engaged in buying apple crops from nearby small farmers, in connection with which he wandered in his van through remote and not very mountainous villages.

In general, this cheerful and very talkative Mehmet offered to be in his house for a few days, but with one condition: I will have to help by making a contribution in his difficult apple business. I, of course, agreed: firstly, his village Narince was located not far from Nemrut Park, and it would be very convenient to use it as a base for a one-day trip to the mountain; and, secondly, it was very interesting for me to plunge into the ordinary rural life of a Turkish village for at least a few days and to visit with Mehmet in remote mountain villages, where civilized tourists do not get.

However, I will colorfully describe how we ran the "apple business in Turkish" sometime in a separate story, but here I will tell you about the day when I made a sortie to Mount Nemrut.

In an early sunny morning, having stocked up with a small supply of provisions and a bottle of water, I, with a small "city" backpack on my shoulders, got out to the outskirts of Narince. Nearby, sheep bleated together, a small herd of which the local shepherd drove out of the outskirts, to the nearest pasture. The morning hitchhiking was, although thin, but good: after 10 minutes I was picked up by a car, which quickly drove me to the desired fork. Here the main road (along with the flow of cars) went to the right, but I got a joker in the form of a dull, albeit asphalted road leading in the direction national park.

It is clear that such a specific route did not abound in passing (yes, I did not really count on this and set up for a pleasant walk in advance), and therefore I sipped some water and cheerfully moved forward, admiring the wonderful surrounding views. And there was so much to see!

The road runs far into the distance ...

And on the sides flows its own leisurely rural life

The sun generously flooded the rocky ground with its hot rays, the road led forward and upward in winding loops, and only grasshoppers crackled around and the blowing wind sang in his ears and ruffled his T-shirt. There were almost no passing cars, nevertheless a couple of times I was caught up with tractors, which I successfully stopped and drove several kilometers ahead, at the same time giving rest to my legs.

Future restaurant for tourists. So far, only the phase of the foundation and the construction of the walls.

I was very glad to see this sign! The supply of water in the bottle is not endless, but here we managed to replenish them.
At the same time I had a snack than God sent.

And now the first, easier segment of the path is over. I'm at the entrance to myself National park Nemrut. As you can see, visiting the park is not free, and at the entrance there is a solid checkpoint with a barrier, which contains several ticket checkers. Travel certificates and spelling of teeth do not work on them (checked), however, the amount "for the repair of the Failure" is not large, and the lira spent is repaid many times over by the impressions received.

Leave conversations aside! Onward and upward, and there ...

From above, the traversed road seems to be a thread winding in a narrow gorge

Beautiful far away

From the entrance checkpoint to the upper platform, there is about 7 kilometers of a rather steep ascent, which can be overcome quite quickly by car. I was in no hurry, walked calmly, stopping for small halts and photographing the surrounding beauties.

True, the higher and further I climbed, the colder and windier it became. Even the bright sun could no longer overcome the strong, angry and piercing gusts of the mountain wind. In stock, I had only a light windbreaker, which I hurried to pull on. It got warmer, but just that not much - however, it is natural that the cold did not force me to retreat, and I slowly but surely moved forward.

And so, behind the next turn, a flat upper pre-peak plateau with security houses, a small hotel and several souvenir shops opened up. The second leg of the journey was left behind.

All that remained was to make the last dash and overcome several hundred steps carved into the stone, leading somewhere far up ... What is there in front?

A knight at a crossroads. Where to go, where to go? He flipped a coin ... and chose the ascent to the right, to the East Terrace.

In 1881, Karl Sester, a road engineer from Germany, hired by the Ottoman authorities to assess the possibility of laying new transport routes, was amazed to find it mysterious place at the top of the mountain. The discovery of the German engineer became a sensation in scientific circles, and in the next 100 years, 6 serious expeditions of researchers from different countries... What amazed them so?

At the top of Mount Nemrut, almost 2,200 meters high, King Antiochus I, who ruled the state of Commagene during the Roman Empire, from 69 to 34 BC, built unusual monument... From the discovered inscription, it follows that this monument was supposed to remind descendants of his own glory and the glory of the gods. The ruler himself was of Greco-Persian origin and ruled a completely prosperous and rather extensive independent kingdom that lived off trade with Syria and Persia.

Mountain peaks in many mythologies are the abode of the gods. King Antiochus I, who considered himself a descendant of the great Persian king Darius, turned Mount Nemrut into a site for huge statues of the gods - and put himself on a par with them. At the top of the mountain is a burial mound formed from a pile of stones. On the western and eastern sides, it is guarded by two lions, two eagles and many statues up to nine meters high (!).

These statues represent seated Hercules, Zeus and Oromasdes (he is related to the Persian god Ahuramazda), Tyche (the Greek goddess of Fate), Apollo Mithra and Antiochus himself. Their heads, as a result of several earthquakes, fell off over the centuries, and a lot of debris is scattered all around.

Gallery of ancient gods and mythical heroes

On both sides of the mound, which is 49 meters high and about 150 meters in diameter, there are identical figures. The statues on the eastern side of the terrace are better preserved; they were not cut from one solid stone, but made up of separate stone layers. On huge heads, Greek facial features are juxtaposed with Persian head decorations and hairstyles.

At the very top, the wind was whistling just piercing to the bone (despite the hot and sunny weather), and with such force that you can just lie down on it with your chest, like on a down pillow. In my thin clothes, for a few minutes I froze so that my teeth knocked out some devilish beat, and my numb fingers shook and trembled so much that even just fixing the device and pressing the shutter button was very difficult ...

But such wonderful views became a reward for the difficulties of the ascent endured:

It seems that Antiochus had no doubt that he was one of the immortals: a well-preserved bas-relief of the eastern terrace shows him shaking hands with Apollo, Zeus and Hercules.

Of particular interest is the stone slab, which depicts a lion under the starry sky. The arrangement of the stars and planets - Jupiter, Mercury and Mars - repeats the special arrangement of the luminaries, which was observed by astronomers on July 7, 62 BC. NS. The exact meaning of this date is unknown, but it is assumed that this is the day of the beginning of construction on Mount Nemrut.

There is also an altar on the eastern side of the burial mound. Most likely, earlier, both terraces were connected by a walled road and one could approach it through the mountain path laid below. In all likelihood, this area was regularly used for religious ceremonies.

Walking around both terraces, capturing all these extraordinary masterpieces of ancient sculptors and architects, and doing something like "St. Vitus's dance" with my body shaking from the cold, I galloped back up the steps. "Rather, rather down, to the warmth and the sun!" - a single thought throbbed greedily in a well-ventilated head ...

Oh, how nice it is to return along the already familiar road back, when the legs run down by themselves - into the green valleys, and the consciousness is pleasantly caressed by the thought of another successful overcoming of oneself and a bright saturated day ...

In addition to beautiful views, the way back surprised me twice more.
First - an amazing joke of Turkish road builders called "assemble a road puzzle" ...

And then an unexpected meeting on the sidelines with such a brilliant representative of the local fauna. The snake lay on the edge of the road, not moving - apparently, it was crumpled in the hot sun. I did not bother her, remembering the sad fate of Julia Stoner and Grimsby Roylott, but only cautiously approached and photographed the beauty:

Beauties at the end of the day

When I got to the intersection where I started my walking trip to Nemrut in the morning, the last rays of the sun caressed the tops of the surrounding hills, and darkness was rapidly approaching the valleys. Quickly and successfully braking the garbage truck, in 15 minutes I flew with a cheerful mustachioed driver to "my" village and to Mehmet's place. Behind the back were 30 km of track and "full pockets" of impressions.

The visit to the Minotaur on Mount Nemrut was successfully completed.

That's all. Now allow me to take my leave.

Helpful information on arrival (from Vinsky's forum):

There are 2 ways to get to Nemrut:

1.From the south - Adiyaman or Kahta to the village of Karadut, from there 12 km to the top.
The plus of this road - in addition to the mountain, you can see other preserved sights of Commagene - Karakush with the Eagle Column, Roman bridge, Asrameya, the summer capital of Commagene.
Minus - the main way to get there is by bus (Kayseri 6 hours, Istanbul about 20 hours), with a lack of time it takes a long time.
2.From the north - Malatya. Malatya is advertised by the Turks as world capital apricot, in July there is an apricot festival. The rest of the time there are almost no tourists, only those heading to Nemrut. There is a tourist information office in the center and they organize trips http://www.malatyakulturturizm.gov.tr/

From a historical point of view, Nemrut-Dag is nothing. Just a huge burial structure of the ruler of a small local dynasty, suffering from megalomania. Despite this, what he saw is stunning, there is nothing like it in the world. The Commagene kingdom, separated from the Seleucid empire, was founded in the 1st century. BC NS. and occupied a small territory - from Adiyaman (Adiyaman) to Gaziantep (Gaziantep)... It lasted only 200 years. The sanctuary was erected under Antiochus I, who considered himself equal to the gods and great kings.

He himself chose this remote place at an altitude of 2150 m. Nemrut-Dag was discovered in 1881. The first, not very good, road appeared in the 1960s. Until then, it was necessary to climb on donkeys, the ascent took at least two days.

The road follows the beautiful Roman bridge over the Jendere River (cendere), then through the ruins of Arsamey (Arsameia) where it is worth exploring the cave, the tunnel and the badly destroyed city itself on top of a green hill.

The road ends with a ten-minute walk to the very top of Mount Nemrut - a rocky path will lead to the Eastern Terrace with five colossal figures of Apollo, Fortuna, Zeus, Antiochus and Hercules, whose heads fell during earthquakes. Behind them rises a man-made burial mound, bypassing which you will find yourself on the West Terrace with the same five figures, but now facing sunset, not sunrise.

Time should be planned so that you will be here in the afternoon, when the morning haze clears. Dress warmly, it's always cool at the top.

76 km northeast of Adiyaman, 52 km north of Kahta, 63 km southeast of Malatya. Paid entrance.

Friends, today you will read and see a place that simply captivated us at first sight. I noticed one oddity that if a place has any strong energy, that is, in fact, it is a place of power, then we get there very easily, and sometimes in literally miraculously. The inaccessibility to the mountain with the large stone heads of the gods called Nemrut Dag and our way there, became another proof of this. Trust me, you won't regret it either when you learn more about this place.

“Wonderful” hitchhiking to Nemrut Dag.

And we continue to walk along the main street of Adiyaman, and along the way we are trying our luck to catch a car that will take us at least to the edge of the city. Yes, Turkey is so harsh that you can even hitchhike around the city, 20 minutes later we were sitting in a small truck that drove us to the exit.

For some reason, all the Turks who give us a lift think that we have nowhere to rush. Of course, we have nowhere to rush, but this does not mean that we will sit in the car and wait for the driver to sleep, because he is tired after long hours of work, and then he will take us to Nemrut. This is exactly what the owner of the truck decided when we drove out of town. Having kindly sent him ... to sleep, we went further along the highway.

In the direction of Nemrut Dag, the traffic was, to put it mildly, meager, so we were very happy when another truck decided to give us a lift, however, already completely packed with Kurdish children and women. It seems that they did not come true, and the Kurds are no worse than the Turks in terms of their desire to help. Free space was found only in the back, from where two boys, who had not climbed into the cab, looked at us fearfully, and whimpered with cow waste. In such a romantic atmosphere, we covered 40 km while standing, while there was still about 20 to the goal.

I did not expect that the very first wave of my hand would stop a passenger car in front of us, completely stuffed with bags, some of which even rested against the back of the driver's head. Only one front seat was vacant, it was there, out of despair, Mila and I pushed together with our backpacks. To be honest, I do not know how we could fit there, thank God, it did not take long to go, otherwise I would have remained bent four times :).

We landed exactly at the turn up the mountain, ahead of another 13 km and an absolutely deserted road. I didn't even know if there were any villages ahead so that local transport could pick us up. There was absolutely no point in going on foot, especially when you consider that the heads are on a mountain with a height of 2,100 meters, which means that at night it is 100% not hot there and did not want to spend the night there. Then we sit down by the road and wait.

An hour passed and not a single car. Mila and I were already beginning to doubt that there was anything on wheels at all, when suddenly a minibus appeared from around the corner. We jumped to our feet and waved our hands. The car stopped, the driver immediately understood where we needed to and, without further ado, put us in the cabin.

We thought that he would take us to at least the nearest village, but in the end we stopped right at the ticket office before going up the mountain. And, apparently, it was not yet the final stop, so we just paid 9 liras (180 rubles) per person. Who knew that the driver would actually be one of the builders who are now ennobling Nemrut Dag for tourists ?! That's right, we were taken directly to the mountain, which reminded me personally of a real pyramid. I will not claim that this is it, but when you see the remains of the gods, I think you will doubt too.

Ruined sculptures of the gods of the Turkish "Olympus".

We left our backpacks with the Kurdish workers to make it easier to study the area. We were even told that they would find a place to sleep if needed. Mila, after the annoying Turks and fairy tales about the Kurds, was not at all eager to agree to this proposal.

Work here was in full swing, a concrete staircase was built right up to the mountain, carrying materials on donkeys along a side path. The staircase had not yet been completed, so we crossed the stones for the rest of the way.

When I saw the first head, everything inside me stopped with admiration. With each step, a whole platform opened before my eyes, on which giant sculptures used to stand. Mila, as always, just flew upstairs, although below she could barely move her legs from the heat and weight behind her back.

From the mountain there was a stunning view of the hills and mountains for many kilometers into the distance. They say that the Olympian gods lived in Greece, but at that moment it seemed to me for a moment that this very Olympus was here.

Probably it is worth looking into the history of the origin of this place.

The origin story of Nemrut Dag.

Once existed small state called Commagene, and was ruled by King Antiochus from a dynasty of Greco-Persian origin. On the maternal side, the vain king was a descendant of the famous Alexander the Great. And the pride of the king was so strong that in the end he declared himself God, after which he decided, so as not to be unfounded, to recreate his personality in art along with the pantheon of Gods already existing at that time.

Antiochus was generous in erecting Mount Nemrud sanctuaries for the gods, inviting the best workers and sculptors of the time. Construction began in 62 BC, and three terraces were built, on the topmost of which were placed figures of the gods, guarded by statues of eagles and lions.

When, finally, the construction was completed by the decree of the king, a paved road was laid out to the mountain with a height of 2000 meters. All the people had to climb along it and hold services at the statues twice a month. Tired travelers were greeted by a huge inscription: "I, Antiochus, erected this temple to glorify myself and my gods."

It is not known how long this lasted, only after the death of the king, the subjects buried his ashes on the top, erecting a fifty-meter marble pyramid over his tomb.

After that, the sanctuary was forgotten. Only occasionally, from numerous earthquakes, the crumbling massive figures of the gods puzzled the lost travelers, until in 1953 the stone heads were found by a group of American geologists.

But, and that's not all, on the other side of the pyramidal mountain, on which for some reason they poured a heap of small stones, I found copies of exactly the same heads and dilapidated sculptures. And right in front of them is a large platform, more like seat for a helicopter.

Now take a closer look at these two photographs, these are the heads from different sides of the mountain of the same “god” (presumably the king Antiochus himself) .... your opinion?

Did you also think that the sculptures on the reverse side are smaller and “handicraft”? This is exactly what it really is.

My opinion is this: during the heyday of the N-th empire, half-ruined sculptures left by more ancient civilizations were accidentally discovered. The find amazed the ruler so much that he summoned his best sculptors who tried to repeat the ideality of the lines and proportions of the “gods”, but as you can see, the task turned out to be unbearable, but completed.

I even climbed to the very peak of the "pyramid". Apparently, I was not the first, as I found the remains of candles and other ritual accessories. By the way, the platform here is flat, and if you believe some historical sources, then at the very top of the pyramid there should be a silver cone.

Despite the fact that the place is not very promoted and not completed, there are enough tourists here, mostly independent travelers by personal transport. One of these turned out to be the French, who arrived here in a camper. By the way, I saw him on the lower levels of the mountain, probably the guys decided to spend the night here, lucky ones!

With the French, we exchanged a few words in English and found out where they had already been and what else could be interesting to see. Interested locality under the title, but we will talk about this in due time.

With 17 Kurds in one car.

I don’t know how long we spent on the “Olympic” mountain, but when we went down to get our things, the sun began to decline. I, too, was of the opinion that spending the night with a girl in the company of some men is not the most best idea... So we got our things and headed for the road, hoping for some car with returning tourists.

The workers' day at the builders was also coming to an end, and a couple of Kurdish guys, seeing us, asked where we were going. We said that we would go out, then they offered us a ride, but first it would be nice to have dinner. We were taken to a work trailer, treated to local soup and lemonade, and then put into the very car in which we arrived. Only now in the salon, besides us, there were 17 more guys and all the Kurds. Unlike the Turks, which we really liked, the Kurds did not stare at Mila at all, but rather, on the contrary, they sat us down so that she felt as comfortable as possible in this crowd.

The guys not only took us to the highway, but also agreed with one of the workers who was driving towards the city of Siverek to pick us up, where part of the way had to be overcome by ferry. But, even he did not take us to the ferry, but a minibus, yes, with ordinary passengers, only we went for free. True, at the exit, one of the passengers began to demand payment, he never understood the people who were trying to get money from us, while not being the driver of the car we were driving. In general, I sent this comrade away when we were on the shore.

The ferry was supposed to arrive in an hour, which did not please us too much, since it would be time to look for a lodging for the night, and if we spend time on the crossing, we will have to pitch our tent in the dark. Okay, the ferry will wait until tomorrow, let's go look for a parking spot. This garden is perfect, and the river is nearby, so you can wash your hair in the morning.

It’s been a long time since we climbed the mountains and admired the natural wonders. So let's fix the situation now and go to a place full of secrets - to Mount Nemrut-Dag in Turkey and look at the mysterious stone heads.

Where are the stone heads on Mount Nemrut-Dag

Nemrut-Dag is the southeastern mountain of Turkey, located near the city of Adiyaman. The height of this mountain is 2150 meters above sea level.

In order to easily get to Mount Nemrut-Dag from Adiyaman, you need to take a direct transport to Kyakhta and calmly wait for the “final stop”. A little more and you are at the foot of one of the most mysterious mountains in the world, a little more and you will see the mysterious stone heads.

It is worth noting that the back of Mount Nemrut-Dag has a huge history of tens, hundreds and thousands of years. And further! There is something unusual, secret on it - these are stone heads.

Who created the stone heads on Nemrut Dag and the tomb of King Antiochus I

The amazing "mausoleum" on Nemrut-Dag is one of the most popular attractions in Turkey, as well as. Indeed, this place, like no other, is steeped in the history and culture of antiquity.

To be convincing, let's start with the history of the creation of statues on Nemrut Dag.

In the distant 2nd century BC, Nemrut belonged to the dwarf state of Kommagen. The state itself was small, but the rulers were very proud and powerful individuals. Each of them tried to "stand out", to show their power over others. Tsar Mithridates I organized the Olympic Games here, thereby “attracting and luring” those around him. It would seem, what could be better and more ambitious?

But King Antiochus I simply surprised everyone with his idea. He created his own, new religion! And he gave himself the "title" of God.

At that time, Nemrut became a religious center. And it was here that it was planned to build something like a ritual complex. But the construction was not completed, since after the death of Antiochus I, the work stopped.

At the top of the mountain there is a huge burial ground with a sanctuary - this is the tomb of King Antiochus 1.

The king wished to deify himself and ordered to write a will on the walls of the temple with a request to "celebrate" his birthday from year to year. He said that, in spite of everything, literally every citizen was obliged to taste the treats and sacrifice an animal. "Let there be a holiday!" - with these words the will ends.

The riddle of stone heads on Mount Nemrut-Dag

Summit Nemrut-Dag consists of three terraces - western, eastern and northern. It is there that these mysterious statues of the gods are located - stone heads.

On the this moment the statues have already been "dismembered," so to speak. Just after a strong earthquake, the stone heads of the statues "fell off their shoulders" and now stand next to "their bodies"!

As Antiochus I said: “This place is the home of the Gods! This is where their heavenly thrones are. "

Now you know about the history of stone heads on Nemrut-Dag in Turkey. Learn more and more interesting things and travel the world with us.

Where are the stone heads on Mount Nemrut-Dag on the map