A king's whim
Antiochus I ruled Commagene, a small kingdom wedged between Rome and Parthia, in the 1st century BC. He claimed descent from Alexander the Great on one side and from Darius of Persia on the other, and to make the point he had a 50-metre burial mound raised on the summit of the highest mountain in his kingdom, flanked by two terraces of colossal statues: the king himself, seated among Zeus, Apollo, Heracles and the goddess Commagene, with a lion and an eagle guarding each end.
Earthquakes toppled the heads, each about two metres tall, and today they sit in rows on the ground, facing east and west. The tomb itself has never been found: it is thought to lie inside the mound, under tonnes of loose rock.
What to see
The terraces at sunrise
You drive up in the dark to reach the east terrace before dawn. As the sun rises over the mountains towards Mesopotamia, the heads glow orange. Afterwards, walk round to the west terrace, which has the finest sculptures (the lion carved with a horoscope, and the stele of the king shaking hands with Heracles) and a view over the reservoir on the Euphrates. If you would rather not get up so early, sunset from the west terrace is the alternative.
Arsameia and the Heracles relief
The kingdom's summer capital, partway up the mountain, has the best-preserved relief in Commagene: King Mithridates, the father of Antiochus, shaking hands with Heracles. Close by, carved into the rock, is what is often described as the longest Greek inscription in Anatolia.
Cendere Bridge and the Karakuş tumulus
Two stops on the way to the summit: a single-arch Roman bridge built around AD 200 and still standing, and the burial mound of the women of the royal family, ringed by columns, one of them still crowned by an eagle.
When to go
From May to October: for the rest of the year snow closes the road to the summit. Even in August it is cold at the top before sunrise, so bring a warm jacket. June and September are the ideal months.
Getting there
The usual base is Kâhta, an hour from the summit, or Adıyaman, the provincial capital, which has an airport. Şanlıurfa is about three hours away and Gaziantep about three and a half. You drive up as far as the car park and walk the last stretch, about twenty minutes up stone steps.
What to eat
This is south-eastern cooking: Adıyaman kebabs, çiğ köfte and, up on the mountain, a breakfast of honey and cheese at the family guesthouses in Karadut. Nothing fancy, but honest food.
Fitting it into your trip
Nemrut takes a day and a night from Kâhta, and together with Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep it makes up the great south-eastern route: four or five days, with a domestic flight from Istanbul.