Nemrut’s statues stay strong, tumuli ruined

ADIYAMAN

Not only residential buildings but also historical places have been damaged in Adıyaman that suffered great destruction in the Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık-centered earthquake and resulted in the highest number of human losses in proportion to the population.

The god statues on Mount Nemrut, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Kahta district stayed strong and did not get damaged during the earthquake.

Located at an altitude of 2,206 meters, where the sunrise and sunset can be best viewed among the gigantic statues of kings and gods, the king statues on the summit of Mount Nemrut and the ones on the eastern terrace managed to survive the devastating earthquake with all their majesty.

Among the historical places, the 2,000-year-old Roman-era Cendere Bridge also challenged the 7.8-magnitude earthquake. The bridge, which was not destroyed in the earthquake, stayed strong with its columns. At the time the bridge was built, the king of Rome killed one of his children on the grounds that he was coveting his throne and destroyed one of the columns of the bridge erected in his name. The columns of the bridge have remained standing since then.

While the historical statues on Mount Nemrut were not damaged, some structures were damaged, and some parts of the mountain completely collapsed.

The huge rocks at the Arsameia Ruins, the summer capital of the Commagene Kingdom, were shattered by the devastating force of the earthquake and slid down into the valley below. While the stair steps going underground in Arsameia and the main rock above the caves got damaged by the destructive effect of the earthquake, there are large cracks in the upper part.

The handshake stele of Antiochus and Heracles, the leader of the Commagene Kingdom, managed to survive the earthquake. And there is no damage in the cave right next to the inscription with Greek writings on it. Again, the 2-meter-high relief of King Antiochos, facing the valley in Arsameia Ruins, continues to salute the great valley with all its majesty.

The 10-meter columns with Greek inscriptions in the Karakuş Tumulus area, located on the skirts of Mount Nemrut, collapsed in the earthquake, while the Karakuş column with an eagle pedestal is still standing.

The areas affected by the earthquake in the ruins of Mount Nemrut have been identified one by one. Bilecik Pazaryeri District Governor Ferhat Altay, who served as the Coordination District Governor in Kahta in accordance with the State of Emergency laws, visited the historical structures in and around Mount Nemrut.

The 2,000-year city of Adıyaman is home to more than 150 ruins and Commagene civilization. The city is an important attraction center for the country in the field of tourism and an emergency action plan is needed to be implemented for its continuation.

However, there will be a great decrease in the number of beds due to the demolished hotels in the city. In this case, Adıyaman faces the risk of losing a significant portion of its tourism revenues.

Serious incentives are needed for the construction of new hotels and accommodation in the city, along with its tourism infrastructure For Nemrut, which is one of the most visited places in the eastern and southeastern regions along with Göbeklitepe, to host thousands of guests again. Tourism investors, who have lost everything, expect the state to prepare an urgent action plan to keep Adıyaman’s tourism potential alive.