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NEMRUD DAGI

This Hellenistic site is near Mount Nemrut or Nemrud Dagi, in the vicinity of Adyaman in southeastern Anatolia. Also to be seen is the famous Antiochus sepulchral monument on the mountain. The site of Arsemia ad Nymphaios is located at the town of Kahta from here the trek is usually made up the mountain side.

The region that lies between the Taurus Mountains and the Euphrates was called Commagene during the periods of Greek and Roman control. Commagene was established originally as an independent kingdom during the first century B.C. by Mithradates I. This was during the civil wars that put an end to the dynasty of the Seleucids. The power of this state was strong in the reign of Antiochos I; this king was followed by Mithradates II The Commagenian Dynasty controlled the area until 72 A.D., when Commagene was taken into the Roman province of Syria by the Emperor Vespasian.

An excellent relief and inscription has been uncovered at the site which shows King Mithradates shaking hands with Herakles, the god combination in Commagene who represented Ares and the Persian god Arlagnes. It is thought that the relief was carved during the reign of Antiochus I, which was around the year 50 B.C. The structures found at the site are a subtle blend of former civilizations in Anatolia, including Hittite and Greek forms. A few kilometers from Arsemela is a fine bridge that spans the Kahta Cay, the Nymphaios of antiquity. The bridge was erected in the honor of Septimius Severus and his family, according to the Latin inscription. Further in this direction is a tumulus where the royal family buried its women. It consists of three columns, in the Doric order, that were topped by representations of animals: an eagle, a bull and a lion. These are also thought to date from the first century B.C. The figure of an eagle and a slab carved with a bull remain in situ. The figure of a lion is on the ground. The peak of Nemrud Dagi itself is capped by the great shrine and the undiscovered tomb of Antiochus I. Attempts to penetrate the secret of this great tumulus pyramid where the burial vault lies have been in vain. The east and west terraces are particularly interesting with their colossal statues measuring some ten meters high. The heads of the statues have fallen to the ground as the result of earthquakes.