a great day on mt nemrut

I really enjoy leading trips for nice people who were really born to be happy.Today was one of these days in which there was teaching and learning.This is one of the best aspects of my job:Sharing knowledge and experience , finally adding something do the library in mind.
Leaving the hotel in Adiyaman at 8:30 am with all the picnic packs i bought with my driver Yilmaz last night,we headed for the baker in Kahta for buying bread for our shiny-happy group with whom i am on a 3-week trip around Turkey.As the road was under renovation (our primeminester calls it construction of double road) it took us like an hour to get to Kahta which should have normally taken like half an hour maximum.The bread is great.tHe idea is the picnic on the mountaintop at 6500feet .The menu is tomatoes,cheese,pickled cucumbers,fresh cucumbers,salami,olives,halva and the first watermelon of the year.

Rather than going and visiting only the tumulus of Antiochos of the Commagene Kingdom,i decided to give my group the full visit of the sights around the mountain.
Soon after leaving Kahta we see some oil pumps and drilling stations.Although Turkey is dependent on imported oil a great deal,the drilling around Adiyaman is about 9000 barrels a day.
20 minutes after leaving Kahta,we reached Karakus Tumulus(Black Bird).It is called black bird because one of the pillars bear an eagle statue atop which represent the soveriegnity of this kingdom in the sky.It is quite a small tumulus that was built as a grave for the royal women of the commagene kingdom in the 1st century BCE. On the column in the south an eagle statue, on the ones in the east a lion and a bull statues take place. The pillar in west bears a plague on which King Mithridates2nd shakes hands with his sister Laodicea.According to the inscription on the pillar in the east,the tomb is dedicated to the mother Isias,sister Antiochis and niece Aka of King Mithridates the 2nd. This tumulus is located on such a wonderfull hilltop that looks up the tumulus of Antiochos located on mt Nemrut.Possibly the king wanted to watch the women of his family from the top of the mountain.
We are decending down the winding roads to reach Cendere River on which there is a fantastic roman bridge built by the 26th Roman Legion in the region and dedicated to Septemus Severius,his wife Julia Domna who was considered as the mother of roman soldiers and their sons Caracalla and Geta.In two end of the bridge there were four pillars dedicated to these four .It is said to note that after caracalla became the emperor he killed his brother and ordered all the plagues on which there is name of his brother getta written is either destroyed or his name be erased.And it looks like deleting one of the pillars here was an easier way of that.But it didn t erase the name of Geta from the brains of people but this helped Geta to be remembered.The bridge is located just next to a canyon in which local kids are enjoying the cool waters of the river.

Our further driving takes us to ARsemeia which was the administrative palace of the Commagene Kingdom.Hiking the peak is really worth it as it provides a great view from the top of the rocks over the river and lower castle.The top of the rocks was the site of their palace.On the way to the top we see two openair sancturies with relifs of sun god helios-mithras,mithridates the 2nd shaking hands with hercules.By each sanctuary there are tunnels that lead down to the bottom of the valley.If you are there in spring,squirrels will accompany your joy.
Finally we proceed to mt Nemrut .This is the moment all folks in the group have been looking forward to.Because they will see the colossal enthroned statues of the deities located on the 6500 feet peak of the mountain. The man with mule is waiting for his chances.We started walking up and the man with the mule too asking 25tl. wE keep walking uphill another few hundred feet and the price starts downhill to 20tl.We finish half the way and reach steepstairways and the price of the mule taxi is 10 liras. I had tried one of these mules years ago with a couple and the big fellow client of mine who weighs about 300pound was on the leading mule and i was behind it.I regret not having brought a gas mask while i was suffering on the second mule. That was the first and last time for me on a mule and i had preferred to walk down on the way back. In January 2009 in Egypt near the valley of the kings there was a donkey-tour offer which all the group member had done except me .Each time i see a donkey or mule going uphill i remember that big man on the mule in front of me on mt Nemrut.
Finally we are at the east terrace.Some people want to give up near the peak without reaching there. But how come,you cant. You will come even if you have to crawl.This the last 100 feet to the moment for which you are here in southeast Turkey.
The picnic at the starting point of the hike was the crown of the day and the ferry ride was like the great baklava at the end of a splendid meal.

A day with gods,goddesses;emperors and empresses;kings and queens;scarecrows is over.
Next is Urfa and Harran......