One of the most spectacular sites in Turkey
especially at sunset. Mt Nemrut (approx. 2552m) is an extension of the Taurus mountain range in southeastern Turkey.
After the division of Alexander's Empire into three, the Seleucids
established the relatively small and wealthy Commagene Kingdom in
the region.
In
62 BC, Antiochos I became king of
Commagene and developed his kingdom as
a strategic crossroad on the important trade
routes between Syria, Mesopotamia and Rome.
The famous sanctuary was built by Antiochos I
for himself as a funerary monument. It is a
conical tumulus with a height of 50m and 150m diameter. There are
colossal heads of Apollo,
Zeus and Antiochos I.