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7 July 2013 /TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The distance between the southeastern province of Adıyaman and Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is to be shortened by 30 kilometers when a new road still under construction is finished, Adıyaman Governor Mahmut Demirtaş said on Sunday.
Mount Nemrut, 40 kilometers from Adıyaman's Kahta district, is home to what is believed to be the tomb of King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene, the ruler of the small Commagene kingdom. Colossal statues of the king himself, two lions, two eagles and various Greek, Armenian and Persian gods surround the tomb-sanctuary at the summit of the mountain.
The new nine-kilometer road will be built to link Eski Kale (Arsameia), the ancient Commagene capital to the south of Mount Nemrut, with Mount Nemrut. “When this road is completed, the distance between Adıyaman and Mount Nemrut will be shortened by 30 kilometers. Thousands of tourists come every year to Mount Nemrut. We have witnessed the difficulties that they have to go through to reach the area. We are building this road so that visitors can reach it more easily,” said the governor.
Mount Nemrut is located 87 kilometers from Adıyaman. The travel, however, takes about two hours.
The governor said there are also plans to put up lights at the summit of the mountain as well as information signs along the way up to the summit. A 24-hour CCTV camera system will also be installed to enhance safety for the visitors.
The statues at Mount Nemrut date back to the first century B.C. The mount was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
Governor Demirtaş also said he expected the number of tourists visiting Adıyaman to increase significantly now that a settlement process aimed at resolving Turkey's Kurdish issue is under way. The process, which is centered around secret talks between state authorities and jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan, aims to put an end to the decades-old PKK violence, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and harmed the regional economy and tourism.
The new nine-kilometer road will be built to link Eski Kale (Arsameia), the ancient Commagene capital to the south of Mount Nemrut, with Mount Nemrut. “When this road is completed, the distance between Adıyaman and Mount Nemrut will be shortened by 30 kilometers. Thousands of tourists come every year to Mount Nemrut. We have witnessed the difficulties that they have to go through to reach the area. We are building this road so that visitors can reach it more easily,” said the governor.
Mount Nemrut is located 87 kilometers from Adıyaman. The travel, however, takes about two hours.
The governor said there are also plans to put up lights at the summit of the mountain as well as information signs along the way up to the summit. A 24-hour CCTV camera system will also be installed to enhance safety for the visitors.
The statues at Mount Nemrut date back to the first century B.C. The mount was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
Governor Demirtaş also said he expected the number of tourists visiting Adıyaman to increase significantly now that a settlement process aimed at resolving Turkey's Kurdish issue is under way. The process, which is centered around secret talks between state authorities and jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan, aims to put an end to the decades-old PKK violence, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and harmed the regional economy and tourism.