The Great Heads of Nemrut Dağ
On a mountaintop in Türkiye, giant stone heads of gods and a king gaze out at the sunrise. The king's tomb has never been found.
What was reported
On the summit of Mount Nemrut, about 2,100 metres high, King Antiochus I of Commagene built a monument to himself and the gods in the 1st century BCE. Giant stone statues of the king, lions, eagles and gods stood on terraces, their heads, now fallen, up to 2 metres high, facing sunrise and sunset.
Between the terraces rises a huge artificial mound of broken rock, 50 metres high, which is thought to cover the king's tomb.
Explanations offered
Archaeologists have searched for the tomb inside the mound for decades, using tunnels and scans, without finding it. The loose rock makes digging dangerous. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its sunrise views.
- When
- Built in the 1st century BCE
- Where
- Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman, Türkiye
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and visitors
- Status
- Tomb not found
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.