Mount Nemrut Archaeological Site

Kâhta, Turkey
80 B.C.--72 B.C.
King Antinochus I, who ruled the tiny Roman state of Commagene beginning in 64 B.C., erected a funerary site to himself and the gods he considered relatives (Apollo, Zeus, Heracles, among them). He began the task by enlisting slave laborers to build a 50-meter-high mountain of crushed rock and then having master sculptors fashion nine-meter-high figures of himself and the gods, seated in a row. Over time, earthquakes toppled most of the heads from their bodies. The site was accidentally rediscovered in 1881 but archaeological work did not begin until 1953. Since then, most of the heads have been recovered, as well as remains of temples, bas-reliefs, and inscriptions--but the King's tomb has yet to be found. The ruins lie unprotected from the climatic conditions on the summit, which is 2,150 meters high. The Ministry of Culture of Turkey has started to prepare a project for protection of the site. A variety of conservation tasks is required to preserve this ancient site, including taking an inventory of works, creating a drainage system, protecting and conserving the monuments, and devising a tourism infrastructure and management plan.