Sanctuary of Ancient Sculptures - Mt. Nemrut
by Donna Thomson
Nemrut Mountain (Nemrut Dag/Dagi) is an ancient sacred site upon a limestone mountain in eastern Turkey where the remains of intriguing carved rock heads and astrological carvings can be found.
Mount Nemrut is a 2,134 m (7000 ft.) high mountain. Over 2100 years ago an amazing 200,000m3 was cut away by hand from the top of the mountain to make the platform that was to be the foundation of a special site, but Mt. Nemrut wasn't actually discovered until 1881 and excavation only started in 1953. In 1987, UNESCO listed Mt. Nemrut as a World Heritage site.
The story of an ancient King
Long ago, there lived King Antiochus 1 (69-38 B.C.). Born of Persian and Greek parents, Antiochus' ancestry included Alexander the Great on this mother's side. His father, King Mithradates gave up his throne to make way for his son from a young age and worked together with his son to create the sanctuary at the top of Mt. Nemrut.
The land the King reigned over was then known as Kommagene. It is said to have been an abundant land with the mountain and valley below covered in trees and corn fields which is a stark contrast to its condition today which is very desert-like.
As was common in the day, there were many power struggles between neighbouring lands such as Rome. The kingdom of Kommagene was well worthy of invasion too, because its land was rich in minerals and ores such as gold, oil, coal, iron and petroleum. Even after King Antiochus' death, his children and their children tried to continue the kingdom and keep it safe. However, it was the Romans who were to eventually invade Kommagene, destroying the sacred sanctuary of Nemrud (Mt. Nemrut) and facilitating the demise of the whole kingdom of Kommagene. It lay dormant until discovered 125 years ago.
The creation of the sanctuary
Mt. Nemrud's sacred site is referred to as the 'sanctuary' which King Antiochus dedicated to the gods. After the top of the mountain was hand-cleared, a 50 metre high cone (called the 'tumulus') was constructed. It is believed that the King's tomb lies under this hand-made mountain-top, within the mountain itself and is yet to be excavated. King Antiochus is believed to be buried along with his father Mithradates and another king. It is expected that the King's tomb would be just as impressive as Egypt's Tutankhamen.
The sanctuary consists of three 'Terraces'. The East Terrace is home to the giant statues (each around 10m tall) of the Goddess of Kommagene (also referred to as Tyche or Fortuna), Apollo (also known as Mithras, Helios or Hermes), Zeus (also known as Oromasdes) and Herakles (also known as Artagnes, Hercules or Ares). He also closely related himself to the gods and so included a statue of King Antiochus 1 along with the others.
Lion and eagle statues were also created to act as guardians over the site. These statues were made from huge limestone blocks which were brought in from a quarry that was far away down the valley. The heads no longer sit atop the seated statues but have been set in front of them. They make a magnificent site, especially at dawn with the moon setting and the sun rising.
There are also many carved reliefs depicting the King's ancestors. On the Persian side the ancestry begins at Darius 1 (known as the 'King of Kings' and lived from 522-486 B.C) and on the Greek side it begins with Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.). There remain blank blocks which are believed to have been intended for future generations to be recorded.
The East Terrace includes an altar which was used for making offerings of incense, sweet-smelling herbs and roots, and for making sacrifices to the gods.
The North Terrace is where the people came in processions and were prepared for their meeting with the gods. King Antiochus informed them that this was sacred ground so they were to behave as such. The common people were led from here to the East Terrace but were not able to visit the West Terrace, the most sacred part of the mountain.
Photograph courtesy of SacredSites.com
Only nobles could enter the West Terrace which was guarded by a three-headed lion. Unfortunately this guardian now lies face down on the ground. The West Terrace includes the same statues as the East Terrace but much more beautifully created and also in a lower position so they are not so much looking down upon the people as in the East Terrace created for the common people.
Photograph courtesy of SacredSites.com
The West Terrace is also home to the ancient horoscope - the largest and oldest horoscope in the world. It shows the moon, three planets (Mars, Mercury and Jupiter) and the 19 stars of Leo as they were seen in the skies more than 2,100 years ago. It is believed that the date depicted in the horoscope relates to the King's coronation.
The Holy Law of Antiochus
King Antiochus was perhaps one of the most humane in history with his rather developed spiritual philosophies and devotion to bringing the people together to teach them his Holy Law. It is said that King Antiochus travelled to the east as part of his education and likely came across the Holy Law of Buddha, which inspired him to create his own.
King Antiochus' Holy Law was called the 'Nomos' and was carved into the back of the statues. It was this that he intended to introduce to, in his own words: "Kommagenians and foreigners, kings, rulers, freemen, slaves, all who are part of humanity and only differ by birth or fate." He felt that all people should honour the great gods, but that his role was only to encourage or lead the people to something that was 'law' set by the gods themselves.
Could this ancient King have been wise to the 'Universal Law' that exists? If so, it wouldn't be surprising that he reflected this through the honouring of the deities of the time - those that represented power and wisdom. It seems that honouring these deities provided a pathway to connecting with universal truths rather than being the focus of worship of the deities themselves that happens in many religions today. I can only speculate that this was the King's intention due to the evidence of his spiritual wisdom.
The evidence is contained in ancient inscriptions of more than 500 metres long that tell the King's story. These inscriptions are carved at the sacred site of Mt. Nemrut. One of the last inscriptions from King Antiochus before the end of his life was: "I have come to the conviction that being pure and just is not only the most certain possession we humans can gain, but also gives us the deepest joy we can have." …words that I believe refect a spiritually wise person not unlike the Dalai Lama.
Visiting Mt. Nemrut
The mountain is only accessible June through August as the rest of the year it is covered by snow and ice. The town of Adiyaman is a popular place for car and bus trips to the site and you can also travel by helicopter which would give a unique view from above.
For more information including translations of the incriptions, visit the International Nemrud Foundation. You might also like to visit the Places of Peace and Power web site for its coverage of sacred sites.