Photos: Sunset on Turkey’s massive stone heads

A tour of the archaeological site of Mount Nemrut in Adiyaman, southeastern Turkey, an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. Perched at an altitude of 2,150 meters, the ancient site, which includes giant 10-meter high, seated statues of King Antiochus I, himself surrounded by ancient Gods, including Zeus and Apollo, was discovered in 1881 by a German engineer.

Updated on: Oct 07, 2019 10:31 AM IST

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Massive stone head statues are seen at the archaeological site of Mount Nemrut in Adiyaman, southeastern Turkey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The ancient site includes giant 10-meter high, seated statues of King Antiochus I himself surrounded by ancient Gods, including Zeus and Apollo. (Emrah Gurel / AP)

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Perched at an altitude of 2,150 meters (over 7,000 feet), the statues are part of a temple and tomb complex that King Antiochus I, of the ancient Commagene kingdom, built as a monument to himself. A 50 meter (164-foot) high, man-made mound , the presumed tomb of Antiochus sets the background. (Emrah Gurel / AP)

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Son of the founder of the Commagene kingdom, Antiochus reigned between 64 and 38 BC, until he was deposed by the Romans. The kingdom spanned an area from the eastern edge of the Taurus mountains to the Euphrates River. (Emrah Gurel / AP)

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Visitors snap photos of the sunset and massive stone heads that stare down on them from the summit of Mount Nemrut, in Turkey’s southeastern Adiyaman province. (Emrah Gurel / AP)

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The ancient site which includes giant 10-meter (33-foot) high, seated statues of Antiochus himself surrounded by ancient Gods, including Zeus and Apollo was discovered in 1881 by a German engineer. Excavations began there in the 1950s. (Emrah Gurel / AP)

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Nesibe Irem Erdem and Faysal Macit, watch the sunset after spending the night at the archaeological site. Visitors climb to the site at dawn or at dusk to see the statues under the spectacular lighting. It’s also a favourite spot for stargazers to watch the night sky. (Emrah Gurel / AP)

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Today, the site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the monuments are among the best-known images of Turkey, featuring on postcards and Turkish tourism posters and ads. (Emrah Gurel / AP)