Mount Nemrut
which is the highest open museum in the world, and its summit preserves the ruins of the Kingdom of Commagene dating back to the first century BC, attracted thousands of tourists in the tourism season that falls between April and October. Mount Nemrut is 2,000 meters high and is located in the Adıman province in southern Turkey. It is part of the Taurus Mountain ring, on the bank of the Euphrates River. On its summit is a temple, built in 62 BC. It is surrounded by two large statues of two lions, two statues of two falcons, and many Greek statues. and armenian. In 1987, Mount Nemrut was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was visited by 52 thousand people. The mountain is the best location in the world to watch the sunrise and sunset during the first nine months of this year. Mustafa Akinci, Director of Culture and Tourism in Adıman, said that 52,000 people visited the mountain in 9 months, including 2,000 foreign tourists. The story of Nimrod was mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, and the name Nimrod was not mentioned in the Qur’anic text, but commentators, such as al-Tabari, linked the Babylonian king Nimrod and the king who was challenged by the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, in the suras of the Prophets and the Cow, while some historians and commentators questioned Nimrod’s historical relationship With the tyrant king who was mentioned in the Qur’an, Nimrod was considered one of the giant legends and symbolized the forces of evil, as many of the heritage cities in Iraq were named after him.
The huge building in Mount Nemrut consists of a group of rock slabs that form something like a pyramid, and the eastern and western parts of it are terraces that lead to an open temple, and on these terraces there are huge statues of lions and falcons, and 5 huge statues of the gods that they worshiped, including 4 men. and a woman, which is the most attractive thing preserved in this place.
The royal temple, which was founded on the mountain by King Antiochus I, clearly embodies the culture of syncretism that was common at that time in the Hellenistic kingdoms, by merging statues of Greek and Persian gods in uniform clothing, which is a reference to equality between faiths, to merge the Persian and Greek peoples, However, the mountain is mysterious in terms of its religious meanings, the reasons for its establishment, and the religion that was followed in the Kingdom.
Researchers believe that the monument was originally established with two large spaces, the first on the eastern side, and was used to celebrate the birthday of King Antiochus I, and the other on the western side, was used to celebrate the founding anniversary, in the year 62 BC, the day on which it is believed that King Antiochus became A member of the secret religious order, of the Kingdom of Commajin. The Kingdom of Commagene, meaning community of the living, existed as an independent kingdom from Mithridates Kallenchus I, at the beginning of the first century BC. The importance of the kingdom emerged during the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Mithridates Calencus (62-32 BC). In 62 BC, the temple was built on top of the mountain, and was guarded by two large statues of two lions, two statues of two falcons, and many Greek, Armenian, and Persian gods. Each deity had his name written on it, and when the temple was discovered, the heads of the statues were separated from the statues and lying on the ground, indicating that they were deliberately damaged.[1] [2]