Double lion sculpture back home

NİĞDE – Anadolu Agency

A sculpture, which was found in 1933 in the Central Anatolian province of Niğde, will be displayed at the Niğde Museum. 

The 2,800-year-old “double lion” sculpture, discovered in the Hittite settlement of Göllüdağ, is located on a hill with an altitude of 2,172 meters close to Çiftlik district’s Kömürcü village. It had been sent to the Kayseri Museum at the time because Niğde did not have a museum. 

The sculpture was recently transferred to the Niğde Museum with the approval of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums. Following the preparations, the artwork will be put on display there. 

The six-piece sculpture that supports the columns in the outer door has a width of 1 meter, a height of 1.5 meters and a length of 2 meters.

The shoulders, feet and breasts of the lions are muscular, and their mouths are open as if they are roaring. 

Niğde Governor Yılmaz Şimşek said the museum was one of the most important venues featuring Anatolian archaeology. 

He added that the museum was one of the first three nominees for the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) in 2003.