Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located in south-east Turkey. Its peak at 2,134 meters is home to the temple-tomb built by the late Hellenistic King Antiochos I of Commagene (69-34 B.C.) as a monument to himself.
Giant stone statues of the kings and gods of this ancient civilization lie on the eastern and western terraces of Mount Nemrut.
The mountain and its surroundings are preserved as a national park, attracting many tourists, as the view is especially breathtaking from the peaks at sunrise and sunset.
After sunset, the site is closed to visitors, and a special permission is required to enter at night.
As a photographer and an admirer of historical and cultural heritage, I’ve always wanted to photograph this magnificent beauty. I consider myself lucky as I had the privilege to have access to Mount Nemrut at night.
I preferred a summer day, where the skies would be clear to allow me to display the stars. To reach the peak, there is a bit of a hike at the last mile, after the last point vehicles have access. During the hike, I witnessed amazing views of the mountains that made me forget the difficulty of climbing with photography gear and night supplies on a hot summer day.
Despite the day’s heat, the peak was extremely windy, and the temperature dropped severely as the night started to fall.
At the peak, I was so excited and captivated by the beauty of the ancient sculptures. I rushed back and forth to the east and west terraces to capture photos at daylight. Then I set up my gear, stabilized by tripod, for the star trails shots that would last for a few hours and clicked the button.
This star trails photo is composed of 200+ consecutive frames taken in a 2-hr period at the western terrace of the peak of Mount Nemrut.
The photo is a rare display of the unique and fascinating beauty of monumental sculptures under a starry night sky.
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