The Nemrut ruins are located near the Karadut village of Kahta district in the southeast of Turkey, 66 kilometers from Adıyaman. At an altitude of 2,206 meters, the Commagene-era figures and constructions are known variously as the “eighth wonder of the world” and “the throne of the gods.”
Associate Professor Şahin Güçhan, a lecturer at the architecture department of Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ), told the Anatolia news agency that under the Commagene and Nemrut Preservation and Development Program -- established under an agreement between ODTÜ and the Culture and Tourism Ministry -- they will continue to work until 2010 on promoting and restoring the Nemrut ruins, included on the World Heritage List by the UNESCO.

He noted that their priority is to rearrange the area surrounding the Nemrut ruins and repair the cracks on the statues and other artifacts. “We have prepared a preliminary project for the landscaping work and our project was approved. The ministry will open a tender for the implementation of the projects,” he said.

Güçhan explained that they will see to it that the work is carried out with extreme care in order not to cause any damage to the ruins. “It is our goal to make the Nemrut ruins a place where visitors can stroll amongst the statues comfortably and without causing any damage to them. To ensure that this happens internationally recognized standards should be taken into consideration,” he said. He stated that as part of the project, they will build a visitor’s center. “This center will be a modern building with a large hall where visitors can rest as well as a theater hall and three rooms for permanent exhibitions. Souvenirs will be sold at the center, and documents will be available concerning the Nemrut ruins. Tourists will first arrive at this center, where they can park their cars, and will be taken to the ruins by minibuses.

Güçhan explained that in addition to official security officers, area guides will work to ensure security in the ruins and to prevent visitors from damaging statues and other items. “These guides will be selected from the local people and they will guide tourists through the ruins. No one will be allowed to enter the ruins area without being accompanied by a guide. This is what was suggested in the long-term development plan. This will ensure that the artifacts are not damaged by visitors,” he said.

Refuting claims that the statues on Mount Nemrut face more threat of damage than other historical sites in Turkey, he said they had compared photos of the ruins taken 100 years ago with current photos: “It is true that the ruins have suffered damage. But we cannot say that they are being damaged at a faster rate than other historical sites.” Güçhan also commented about the renovation work to be undertaken during the project. “We will be in Adıyaman on July 23 and will work until Aug. 10. We will inspect the programs in place to preserve the statues and other remnants, and we will conduct experiments to find the most effective mixture for repairing the cracks on the statues. We will use this mixture in the renovation work next year,” he remarked.

“Also, the Mount Nemrut Scientific Consultation Board will meet at the Nemrut ruins on July 29-30. The board members will work with us to decide on the experiments to be conducted for finding an effective repair mixture as well as other actions that need to be taken to preserve the site,” he noted.

TODAY’S ZAMAN