Colossal limestone statues on Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman, Turkey
© Peerakit JIrachetthakun/Getty Image
The mountaintop of toppled gods
The ruins on Mount Nemrut depict a gaggle of gods from both Greek and Persian traditions, plus a few deities the emperor Antiochus I made up himself. The range of spiritual faiths represented in the statues found near the 2,100-metre summit reflects southeastern Turkey's long history as a crossroads of cultures. Today, the derelict statues are protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 70 BCE, Antiochus took power here in Commagene, one of several small one-time states formed from the shambles of the Seleucid Empire. Looking to unify his populace, he synthesised a mythology that hailed Greek and Persian figures, from Ares to Zarathustra - plus the emperor himself and his family. Antiochus' claim to godhood wasn't eternal, as he was deposed in 31 BCE, but sometime before that he cemented his customised state religion in history by having its partial pantheon - including, of course, himself - carved into stone statues on the peak overlooking his kingdom.
Related Images
Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Indian Head Cove, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska, United States
Beach chairs on Steinwarder in Heiligenhafen, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Joshua trees under the Milky Way, California, United States
Zion National Park, Utah, United States
Hot air balloons over Göreme Historical National Park in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
Today on Bing
Young alpine marmot
Marmot peeking out of its burrow
Alpine marmots
Alpine marmot, High Tauern National Park, Austria
Meerkat family huddling together
