Unveiling the Mysteries of Mount Nemrut

Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an fascinating and mysterious archeological site. There are fragments of huge statues at the top dating back to the first century BC. Theres a panoramic view from the top making it a magical place for sunrise and sunset views.

Thu, Sep 15: Mount Nemrut, Adiyaman Province, Turkey

Why visit Mount Nemrut?

Mount Nemrut is a mysterious place, a mountain seemingly isolated from civilization. At the top though, there is a surprise. Have you seen the statue fragments that are up there? That’s the reason.

Fair warning, it’s a long trek with steps, up from the parking lot to the top of the mountain. Definitely not disabled-friendly. If you’re physically compromised, you might want to pass.

Where to stay near Mount Nemrut?

We stayed at the Nemrut Euphrat Hotel, which is about 20 minutes from Mount Nemrut. That proximity is the best part, the rooms, restaurant, and transportation have room for improvement. There’s a little souvenir shop in the restaurant where I bought an Aslan figurine.

TIP: Get to the restaurant early for meals, because when they run out of something (like watermelon), they don’t replenish.

How to get up Mount Nemrut

There road and parking is narrow, so we ditch the big bus and split the group up to board two transport vans to get from the Hotel to the Mount Nemrut parking area.

It’s a long way up from the parking lot, about 600 meters (.37 miles) but there are benches along the way if you need a rest. I trained for a couple months before the trip so I could run up the mountain. It mostly worked. I was the first of our group to get to the top.

Once you get to the top, there is a circular path around the top. You can go in either direction to get to the other side. The path to the right is somewhat rockier.

What’s at the top of Mount Nemrut?

At the top of Mount Nemrut is the Hierothesion, a sacred tomb sanctuary of King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene. There are fragments and remains of colossal statues. There’s a main area with most of the stones, and some statues on thrones on the opposing side.

See the sunset at Mount Nemrut

After we finished wandering about, we hung around at the top of the mountain waiting for the sun to set. I found an isolated spot away from the crowds to set up my selfie-stick tripod from Amazon, then hit the record button.

Catch this time-lapsed sunset from the top of Mount Nemrut. A spectacular end to an amazing day.

What happened after Sunset?

While people coming to Mount Nemrut arrive at different times, a lot of them stay for the sunset. Once the sun sets, hoards of people head down the mountain. It’s chaotic as some people need to take their time while others try to speed along. Then, for some reason, all the vans are white so I’m checking license plates.

Our group finds each other at the van and waits around for the slow folks, but now suddenly our van has a flat tire. Surprise, surprise.

Now we have to wait around until the other van drops their group off at the hotel and comes back for us. With all the traffic, it’s going to be a while, so we just start walking down the mountain ourselves in case they don’t return. They do, and we get back totally exhausted.

Have you already been to Mount Nemrut, or want to visit there? Let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

Part of the Megalithomania UK Gobekli Tepe & Karahan Tepe Turkey Tour

Note: Techzelle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.