Nemrut Mountain: The Burial Site of a King

The rays of the sun burst through the clouds onto the Taurus mountains of Southeastern Turkey. The layers of the mountain tops faded into the distance. On the top of Nemrut Mountain (or Nimrod in English) a glorious sight of nature’s brilliance and beauty meets man-made giant stone heads.

Why are there giant human and animal heads on the top of a mountain? Good question.

Nemrut Mountain, also known as mountain of the gods, is one of the highest points of the mountain range and the burial place of the late Hellenistic King Antiochus I (69-34 B.C.). He was king of Commagene, a kingdom that was founded north of Syria and the Euphrates River after the breakup of Alexander’s Empire. Before his death, the king commissioned the building of stone statues of different gods to encircle his tomb in hopes that he would enter the afterlife with the status of a god, or so legend says.

Commagene, Zeus, Apollo, and Heracles are some of the deities placed at the peak on the eastern terrace, along with the head of an eagle and a lion. There are two other terraces, the Northern terrace and Western terrace that also have statues facing away from the mountain. Two paths wrap around the mountain and guide visitors to the terraces.

The site is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In describing it UNESCO states, “The Hierotheseion of Antiochus I is one of the most ambitious constructions of the Hellenistic period. Its complex design and colossal scale combined to create a project unequalled in the ancient world.”

What does someone's grave say about them? This tomb may demonstrate power and a constructional feat, but it fades in impressiveness as you look at the view that the heads gaze upon day after day: the view of the surrounding mountain range. The stone peaks formed by shifting tectonic plates and were carved out by wind and water.

As the sun began to set behind the mountains the blue sky began to change to a light pink, as if someone had begun to watercolor the sky. The shadows of the cotton like clouds hit the ground, creating pockets of golden sunlight. Standing on the peak at 2,134 meters (7,000 feet) in elevation we had a majestic view of a beautiful golden sunset. I couldn’t tell if it was the chilly air or the beautiful view that gave me goosebumps.

The evening we visited this ancient site there was a large crowd of people who had come to see the impressive construction of stone heads. But it was not the question of how men carried heavy stones up the mountain to build these now famous statues that left me wondering in amazement. Rather, it was the breathtaking view I could gaze into for hours as the sun moved in the sky towards the horizon.