Two-millennium-old statue of Heracles saved from overturning

ADIYAMAN

A 2,060-year-old statue of Heracles, located on the West terrace of Mount Nemrut, which leaned forward due to earthquakes and snow piles, has been saved from overturning with the help of silk ropes in a two-day mission.

The statue tied with silk ropes was straightened to about 30 centimeters and filling material was placed under it, according to the officials leading the rescue mission.

On getting permission to restore the statue from the authorities of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Board in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, the teams from Adıyaman Museum Directorate and the Restoration and Conservation Laboratory Regional Directorate in nearby province of Gaziantep province rolled up their sleeves to get on the mission.

Underneath the statue, a necklace and a telephone booth token from the 1980s were found. Officials are of the view that the token might have been left behind accidentally by researchers excavating the sites at Mount Nemrut.

Mount Nemrut is a 2,134-meter high situated in southeastern Turkey, notable for the summit, where several huge statues are standing tall around, what is assumed to be a royal tomb, from the 1st century B.C.

Home of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene, the mountain has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.