Turkey > In dense fog on Nemrut Dagi mountain

It rained heavily last night. Bedir, the local guide for the excursion to Nemrut Dagi, explains that due to the rainfall not all roads on the mountain are passable.

Turkey - The statue of Antiochus and Hercules is the only remnant of the ancient city of Arsameia

We will have to take a detour, and in particular, the statue of Hercules is probably unreachable. We leave Kahta. It is still fifty kilometers to Mount Nemrut. The sky is cloudy and threatening, but it is dry. My first stop is the Karakus Tumulus, an ancient burial mound from the time of King Antiochus and the Commagene kingdom. This kingdom existed briefly just before the turn of the era. Antiochus maintained his small kingdom by forming alliances with both the Romans to the west and the Persians to the east, giving him an ideal trade position. Ultimately, the kingdom did not last and Commagene was incorporated into the Roman Empire. Karakus Tumulus is an artificial mound of stones. Stones are stacked up to several tens of meters high. Allegedly, Antiochus’s wife, his mother, and his sisters are buried beneath the mound. Some remnants of pillars and depictions of lions surround the burial mound. A little further on, I pass the old Roman bridge from the second century. The bridge was used for traffic until recently; nowadays, a new connection spans the water.

Turkey - Climbing the burial mound of Nemrut Dagi in dense fog

Bedir has inquired about the road conditions, and it seems that we can still reach the statue of Hercules. After the bridge, we turn left toward Arsameia, the ancient capital of the Commagene kingdom. A narrow, steep walking path leads to the old city. I steadily climb upward, and at the top of the hill, I stand in the ancient city of Arsameia. Not much has been preserved. Only the depiction of Mithridates shaking hands with the god Hercules is visible. Finally, we drive to Antiochus’s burial mound, about thirty kilometers away. Murat drives the bus along the winding mountain roads. The clouds grow increasingly close. At 2,000 meters elevation, I step out of the bus into the clouds. A strong, brisk wind blows across the parking area. I follow Bedir along the path to the top of the burial mound. It is a remarkable walk, with visibility of barely twenty meters. I shield my face from the wind. Ahead of me, I cannot see how far it still is. Behind me, my travel companions disappear as shadows in the mist. When I reach the top, I see the god statues emerge. There are about six life-sized depictions of Antiochus and various gods. Whenever the clouds thin briefly, I quickly take some photos. I am now on the east plateau. Behind the statues, I see the altars, where the statues originally stood. Presumably due to earthquakes, the statues have fallen. On the way to the west plateau, I walk over patches of snow. Bedir tells me that in winter, snow here can reach up to eight meters deep. I carefully shuffle to the other side. For a brief moment, I catch a glimpse through the clouds of the enormous mound of stones. I estimate the burial mound to be at least a hundred meters high, made of loose stones.

Turkey - Depictions of gods in the snow on Mount Nemrut Dagi

On the west plateau, more depictions of Antiochus stand surrounded by snow remnants. The mist on the mountain creates a striking scene. Because a harsh wind blows here as well, I quickly descend. At the small restaurant by the parking area, I order a tea. Then we drive back to Kahta for lunch. It is already three o’clock when we set off for Sanliurfa. We are considerably behind schedule. We skip the visit to the Atatürk Dam, though I do see the large reservoir to my left from the bus. Around half past five, we enter Sanliurfa. I take my luggage to my hotel room on the third floor and then follow the group into the town. Although Sanliurfa has half a million inhabitants, the old city center feels small and cozy. People greet me warmly from the stalls and kiosks, and sometimes they even ask to be photographed. When I photograph a vendor and show him the result, he insists on taking a new photo without his slippers. I capture him again with his proper shoes. In a courtyard at a restaurant, we eat. In the adjacent banquet hall, a wedding party is just beginning. All the guests gather here to eat and celebrate—fun to witness. After the meal, I take an evening walk. At the holy fish pond, the mosque’s lights reflect beautifully on the water, and I capture it in a photo. Back at the hotel, I hear music coming from behind the building. There is a performance by the Taksim Trio, a well-known Turkish ensemble. I buy a ticket and go inside. Everyone present is singing along enthusiastically.