Nemrut Mountain is a historical archaeological site located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, in the Kahta district of Adıyaman province. Known for its monumental structures from the Kingdom of Commagene, the site is situated at an altitude of 2,150 meters above sea level and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. With its colossal statues, stone reliefs, and historical remains, Mount Nemrut is one of the most significant archaeological sites of the Hellenistic period.
The Kingdom of Commagene and Mount Nemrut
The Kingdom of Commagene was an ancient realm in the western part of Upper Mesopotamia, known for its fertile lands and cultural richness. This region, bordered by Kahramanmaraş, Göksun, and Pınarbaşı to the west; Malatya and the Taurus Mountains to the north; the Euphrates River to the east; and Nizip and Antakya to the south, was of strategic and economic importance.
The Kingdom of Commagene was founded in 163 BCE by Ptolemaios, who rebelled against the Seleucid Empire. During the reign of King Mithridates I Callinicus, the kingdom declared its independence as the Seleucid dynasty weakened, developing a governance approach that combined Hellenistic and Persian cultures. Mithridates I Callinicus married Laodice Thea, a descendant of Seleucus I Nicator, establishing the Commagene dynasty and creating a lineage that connected the kingdom to both Persian King Darius and Alexander the Great.
The name Commagene, derived from the Greek word meaning "community of genes," reflects the kingdom's role as a fusion of diverse cultures. By blending Hellenistic and Persian influences, the kingdom shaped its political and cultural identity.
The Kingdom of Commagene reached its cultural and economic peak during the reign of King Antiochus I. Antiochus commissioned the monumental structures at Mount Nemrut to demonstrate his devotion to the gods and his ancestors. Declaring himself a deity, he constructed a mausoleum for himself on Mount Nemrut while still alive. Although inscriptions suggest that the king's tomb is located in this area, the burial chamber has not been discovered. It is believed that his remains or ashes were placed in a chamber carved into the bedrock and covered with an artificial tumulus.
Nemrut Archaeological Site (Photo: Association of Aircraft Technicians)
Excavations and Research
The tumulus of Mount Nemrut, discovered in 1881 by Karl Sester, has since attracted the attention of many domestic and international scholars. Excavation and restoration work has been conducted at the site, and some findings have been published.
In 1883, Osman Hamdi Bey, director of the Imperial Museum, and sculptor Osgan Efendi were assigned to investigate the monuments at Mount Nemrut as part of an Ottoman mission. Partial excavations were carried out during their study, and their findings were compared with Otto Puchstein's data, culminating in the publication of Le Tumulus de Nemroud Dagh (first edition in 1883, second edition in 1987).
Western terrace statues and stelai row (Photo: Carl Humann and Otto Puchstein's book, p. 328)
Although research was interrupted until the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, F. Karl Dörner began investigating Mount Nemrut in 1936 alongside architect Rudolf Naumann. The results of their studies were published in 1939 as Forschungen in Kommagene (Research in Commagene). After World War II, Dörner resumed his work in 1951, focusing on excavations at Arsemia on the banks of the Kahta River while maintaining interest in Mount Nemrut. That same year, American archaeologists Theresa Goell and Albrecht Goetze joined the efforts. Between 1953 and 1956, these groups worked continuously and collaborated for the last time in 1958.
In 1984, Dörner participated in restoration efforts at Nemrut alongside a German research group and experts from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. However, his deteriorating health led to the conclusion of his active work that year. Dörner documented his findings in numerous articles and publications.
In 1987, Mount Nemrut was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2006, the Middle East Technical University (METU) submitted the Commagene Nemrut Conservation Development Program (KNKGP) to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The program aimed to address preservation and development processes at Mount Nemrut with new legislative tools. The protocol for the KNKGP was signed on August 15, 2006, and METU completed the research, projects, and tasks under the program by 2012, with the work officially approved in 2014.
Plan of Mount Nemrut Tumulus, 2006 (Photo: nemrut.org.tr)
Terraces and Monumental Structures
The tumulus at Mount Nemrut covers an area of approximately 2.6 hectares, with a diameter of about 140 meters and a peak elevation of 2,206 meters. The tumulus surface was covered with small limestone gravel obtained during the terrace construction on the bedrock during Antiochus's reign. Originally 60 meters high, the tumulus has been reduced to about 50 meters due to natural erosion and destructive excavation methods.
The tumulus is surrounded by three terraces: the west terrace, accessible from Kahta; the east terrace, accessible from Malatya; and the north terrace, which connects the east and west terraces via a 180-meter-long ceremonial path.
Eastern terrace of Mount Nemrut (Photo: Carole Raddato, flickr.com)
The east and west terraces feature five colossal statues placed with their backs to the tumulus. Each statue is flanked by a pair of guardian animal figures: eagles and lions. The statues represent King Antiochus I, Commagene’s main goddess, the chief god Zeus, Apollo, and Heracles. Behind these statues are inscriptions in ancient Greek containing King Antiochus’s testament, which lists the names of the gods with their Greek and Persian origins.
Head of Hermes and the Goddess of Commagene on the western terrace (Photo: Ale Roots, flickr.com)
In addition to the monumental statues, the east terrace contains symmetrically arranged stel bases, while the west terrace features stelae arranged transversely with altars in front of them. The west terrace includes a series of stelae depicting handshake (dexiosis) scenes and a lion horoscope. On the east terrace, there is a square platform, described as a stepped pyramid by Goell and considered an altar by other researchers. The northeast side of the tumulus houses the north terrace, a narrow rectangular area believed to have been prepared for placing portraits of Antiochus I's ancestors. Most of these stelae and bases are now broken.
Lion horoscope stele, king shaking hands with the gods stelai, sandstone eagle, and lion, 2007 (Photo: Maria Columba, flickr.com)
