There's a wealth of stories to be shared from my recent trip to Turkey. But for this moment I'd like to present one of the highlights in all of my years of travelling... and that was viewing this glorious sunset in Mount Nemrut in June 2019.
Mount Nemrut is a mountain in southeastern part of Turkey, famous for the sculptures of notable figures on its peak. It's believed to be a royal tomb during the 1st century BC. The site was discovered in 1881, excavations began in 1953 by archaeologists, and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our tour took us to Mount Nemrut in the evening, right after some midsummer rain. The landscapes along the way up had already caught my breath, and as we neared the top my excitement just grew. There's a visitor center where you can purchase tickets, snacks, and even blankets. From there, you take a shuttle further up, where the van will drop you off about 700m from the peak. The hike begins here.
To say it was a tough hike would really depend on your level of fitness. There were large steps about 80% of the way up, with benches for resting, and views so beautiful that it would've definitely distract you. We were there in the peak of summer in June, and even then it was slightly chilly from the wind, and we got a little breathless from the thinning air. The path will take you all the way up, til you reach a platform, and are greeted with a sight of the humongous statues.
According to historians, King Antiochus I built a tomb / religious site, surrounded by figures of himself, two lions, eagles, and gods of Greek/Armenian origins (such as Zeus and Hercules). There is also a carving of a lion with an arrangement of stars and planets around it, believed to have shown their positions on 7 July 62 BCE, which is when it was thought that construction began on this site.
The most popular tours here will take you either to watch the sunrise or sunset. We started off at the Eastern terrace, then as the evening got on, walked about 5 minutes to the Western terrace to catch the sunset. If you ever find yourself in Turkey, please explore it's southeastern parts. The landscapes that we viewed on our trip, from Gobeklitepe, to Sanliurfa, all the way up to this gracious Mt Nemrut, was incredible. Sharing more soon. Thank you so much to Turkish Tourism and Turkish Airlines Malaysia. All my love.
Situated upon a hill where ancient civilisations once ruled, the sight of the sun sinking behind the valleys will remain as one of my favourite views ever. There aren't words to properly describe the emotions of seeing it right in front of our eyes. There comes moments of magic where all you can do is sit and marvel as nature performs it's best dance, a golden hour shimmering over an amazing, untouched landscape, illuminated in hues of silver and rose. It was a view that not even a photographer wanted to capture, if only because he didn't want to miss it with his own eyes.
For almost an hour the group of us just sat, admiring nature's paintbrush as it shared one of it's finest masterpiece - I mean, look at that sky glow! Ah the world's such a gallery of art and we should appreciate it so much more. To sit, reflect, appreciate, be humbled by, and above all, love - love the very existence that has been granted to us and hope to make this world a better place :') That view alone was worth travelling across the world for. And it's on my top ten list of most favourite views I'd ever seen. MasyaAllah. :)
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Mount Nemrut is a mountain in southeastern part of Turkey, famous for the sculptures of notable figures on its peak. It's believed to be a royal tomb during the 1st century BC. The site was discovered in 1881, excavations began in 1953 by archaeologists, and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our tour took us to Mount Nemrut in the evening, right after some midsummer rain. The landscapes along the way up had already caught my breath, and as we neared the top my excitement just grew. There's a visitor center where you can purchase tickets, snacks, and even blankets. From there, you take a shuttle further up, where the van will drop you off about 700m from the peak. The hike begins here.
To say it was a tough hike would really depend on your level of fitness. There were large steps about 80% of the way up, with benches for resting, and views so beautiful that it would've definitely distract you. We were there in the peak of summer in June, and even then it was slightly chilly from the wind, and we got a little breathless from the thinning air. The path will take you all the way up, til you reach a platform, and are greeted with a sight of the humongous statues.
According to historians, King Antiochus I built a tomb / religious site, surrounded by figures of himself, two lions, eagles, and gods of Greek/Armenian origins (such as Zeus and Hercules). There is also a carving of a lion with an arrangement of stars and planets around it, believed to have shown their positions on 7 July 62 BCE, which is when it was thought that construction began on this site.
The most popular tours here will take you either to watch the sunrise or sunset. We started off at the Eastern terrace, then as the evening got on, walked about 5 minutes to the Western terrace to catch the sunset. If you ever find yourself in Turkey, please explore it's southeastern parts. The landscapes that we viewed on our trip, from Gobeklitepe, to Sanliurfa, all the way up to this gracious Mt Nemrut, was incredible. Sharing more soon. Thank you so much to Turkish Tourism and Turkish Airlines Malaysia. All my love.
Love your words, Sha! And the photos are all breathtaking... Rindunya Mount Nemrut!
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