Mighty Noggins on Mount Nemrut

In southeastern Turkey, not far (yet safely far enough) from the border of Syria, and about an hour and a half drive from the town of Adiyaman, lies the startling and stunning Mount Nemrut. Now a UNESCO world heritage site, this bald and rocky mountain is out-of-the-way Anatolia (the name for the Asian chunk of modern day Turkey) at its peak, and a place well worth the effort to reach.

Essentially an ancient open-air mausoleum, Mount Nemrut is said to house the remains of Antiochus. The summit of this burial ground is littered with scattered ruins from the kingdom of Commagene (69-34 BC). We visited this amazing site one late afternoon, as the best time is either at sunrise or sunset when temperatures wane and the sun is either rising or dipping on the horizon (and only between April and October). You can drive part way up, but the final stretch must be covered by foot or mule.

On the terrace at the summit (2150 m high) are astounding statues, said to be of King Antioch and his ancestors (who included several gods, Hercules and Apollo among them). Not all of the statues are intact, heads and noses have been hacked off, and the scattered remains adorn the terraces. Regardless, it’s a powerful sight and enough to make your head spin.

As the sun sets, there is a magnificent light cast over this mysterious spot. Other mountains surround this remote mountain and you seem far from everything as the light dies on the day. Now a suitably distant spot for a burial, but what was once close to the centre of a bygone world.

Anton is a sucker for a brilliant sunset or sunrise and has been known to stay awake between the two; just to be sure he doesn’t miss anything. When he’s on the road researching he takes an equally diligent approach, determined to dig up as much local dirt as he can. Drop him a line if you want to know what else he unearthed in Turkey this summer.