Mount Nemrut or Nemrud (; ; ; Greek language: Όρος Νεμρούτ) is a mountain in southeastern Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of large statues are erected around what is assumed to be a royal tomb from the 1st century BC. It is one of the highest peaks in the east of the Taurus Mountains.
It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Location and description
The mountain lies north of
Kahta, near Adıyaman. In 62 BC, King Antiochus I of Commagene built on the mountain top a tomb-sanctuary flanked by huge statues of himself, two lions, two eagles, and various composite
Greek mythology and
Zoroastrianism gods, such as
Heracles-
Artagnes-
Ares,
Zeus-
Oromasdes, and
Apollo-
Mithras-
Helios-
Hermes. When constructing this pantheon, Antiochus drew heavily from
and
Armenians traditions in order to reinvigorate the religion of his ancestral dynasty.
[; “Antiochus looked to contemporary Parthian and, especially, Armenian traditions, to design his pantheon and reinvigorate his ancestral religion.”] The statues were once seated, with names of each god inscribed on them. At some point the heads of the statues were removed from their bodies, and they are now scattered throughout the site.
The pattern of damage to the heads (notably to noses) suggests that they were deliberately damaged as a result of iconoclasm. The statues have not been restored to their original places. The site also preserves stone slabs with bas-relief figures that are thought to have formed a large frieze. These slabs, or Stele, depict Antiochus' Greeks and Persian people ancestors.
The same statues and ancestors found throughout the site can also be found on the tumulus at the site, which is tall and in diameter. It is possible that the tumulus of loose rock was devised to protect a tomb from robbers, since any excavation would quickly fill in.
The western terrace contains a large slab with a lion, showing an arrangement of stars and the planets Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars. The composition was taken to be a chart of the sky on 7 July 62 BCE.
The authors chose that date in preference to 23 July 49 BCE preferred by other researchers; see
The arrangement of such statues is known by the term hierothesion. Similar arrangements have been found at Arsameia on Nymphaios at the hierothesion of Antiochus' father, Mithridates I Callinicus.
Ancient history
The religious sanctuary established in Mount Nemrut was part of Antiochus' political program to revive the Persian traditions of Commagene. In order to do so, he merged and adjusted the political and religious traditions of Cappadocia, Pontus, and Armenia.
Following the practice of the Mithridatic rulers of Pontus, Antiochus stressed his descent from the Achaemenids and Seleucid Empire, and also claimed the royal legacy of Armenia. One of the essential parts of this identity was the then newly established Greco-Iranian pantheon, which was worshipped at specific sanctuaries in Commagene.
Modern history
The site was excavated in 1881 by , a German
engineer assessing transport routes for the Ottomans. After her first visit in 1947,
Theresa Goell dedicated her life to the site, starting campaigns in 1954. Subsequent excavations have failed to reveal the tomb of Antiochus. This is nevertheless still believed to be the site of his burial. The statues, all of them "beheaded", have not been restored to their original condition.
World Heritage Site
In 1987, Mount Nemrut was made a World Heritage Site by
UNESCO.
Tourists typically visit Nemrut during April through October. The nearby town of Adıyaman is a popular place for car and bus trips to the site, and one can also travel from there by helicopter. There are also overnight tours running out of Malatya or Kahta.
The UNESCO entry states:
Gallery
File:Mount Nemrut (1).JPG|Mount Nemrut, East Terrace thrones in foreground
File:Mount Nemrut (4).jpg|Mount Nemrut: Head of Antiochus I (?)
File:Heads on Mount Nemrut.JPG|Heads of statues
File:Mount Nemrut 1.jpg|Heads of statues
File:Mount Nemrut (3).JPG|East terrace: Apollo-Mithra-Helios-Hermes, Heracles-Artagnes-Ares, Persian eagle, and lion
File:NemrudOstThrone.jpg|East Terrace: Thrones
File:West Terrace (4961375519).jpg|West terrace
File:Mount Nemrut - Antiochus (4962117788).jpg|West terrace: Head of Apollo-Mithra-Helios-Hermes
File:Zeus Oromasdes (4961550509).jpg|West terrace: Zeus-Oromasdes
File:Heracles Artagnes Ares (4961567803).jpg|West terrace: Heracles-Artagnes-Ares
File:Goddess of Kommagene (Tyche) (4961562037).jpg|West terrace: Head of Goddess of Kommagene (Tyche)
File:NemrudWestAdlerkopf.jpg|West terrace: Head of Persian eagle
File:Eagle and Lion (4962096376).jpg|West terrace: Sandstone eagle and lion bodies
File:Nemrut Dagi (3823873001).jpg| West terrace: Sandstone stele / stelae of Persian
See also
-
Cities of the ancient Near East
-
List of megalithic sites
-
List of colossal sculptures in situ
-
Queen of the Mountain — 2005 documentary about the excavation of Mount Nemrut
Sources
External links
