This is an ancient tomb in what is now Türkiye (Turkey). Most of the statues depict Greek gods dressed in Persian style, a nod to the many cultures that surrounded the region.

Yasin Akgul/AFP via Getty Images

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Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.3, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.5, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.3, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.5, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4

GEOGRAPHY

Mountain of Secrets

Atop a mountain in Türkiye sits one of the most extraordinary tombs from ancient history. Experts believe it holds the remains of a king.

December 2024/January 2025

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Atop a mountain in Türkiye sits one of the most extraordinary tombs from ancient history. Experts believe it holds the remains of a king.

In life, King Antiochus I reigned over a modest kingdom. In death, his likely final resting place is considered one of the most spectacular ancient sites in the world.

Antiochus ruled Commagene, a mountainous region in what is now southeast Türkiye (Turkey) from about 70 B.C.. to his death in 38 B.C. The tiny kingdom is thought to have been about the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. It was a mostly neutral zone surrounded by warring empires of the time, including the Parthian Empire.

Today the region is best known for what Antiochus left behind: an elaborate monument atop the 7,000-foot-tall Mount Nemrut. The site—which many experts call the eighth wonder of the ancient world—includes a human-made mound at the center. This mound is believed to contain the king’s burial chamber. It is surrounded by 10 enormous statues that depict Antiochus and Greek gods, along with statues of eagles and lions to guard the king in the afterlife.

Little else is known about Antiochus. In 17 A.D., a few decades after his death, Commagene was seized by the Roman Empire. In recent years, researchers have been studying the burial site. They hope to one day find the royal tomb—and learn more about the king who built it.

—Brooke Ross