Nemrut - Mountain of Gods - 4K

The Mount Nemrut is one the highest peaks of the Mesopotamia, and its summit at 2,206 metres above the sea level contains the tomb of King Antiochus I of Commagene, commissioned by himself. The gigantic statues of gods, each weighing 6 tons and 10 metres tall, indicate what kind of super-human effort was spent on the construction of the tomb. Boulders were the main material used and they were carried up the mountain from the valley below, and similarly the crushed rock pieces used to pile over the main tomb chamber in order to create a 50 ‑metre high cone with 150-metre diameter base were carried the same way. This creative scheme has proven to be effective and prevented grave robbers accessing to the inner sanctum. The tomb chamber is yet to be accessed and the treasures inside are awaiting discovery. However the statues of gods and the sanctuary formed along the three aspects of the tumulus are considered unique, and consequently it was inscribed in the UNESCO List of World Heritage. The mausoleum of Antiochus I (69–34 B.C.), who reigned over Commagene, a kingdom founded north of Syria and the Euphrates after the breakup of Alexander's empire, is one of the most ambitious constructions of the Hellenistic period. The syncretism of its pantheon, and the lineage of its kings, which can be traced back through two sets of legends, Greek and Persian, is evidence of the dual origin of this kingdom's culture.