Nemrut Dagi - The Throne of the Gods, Turkey (404/418)

Nemrut Dagi - The Throne of the Gods, Turkey (404/418)

In 1987 UNESCO declared the place of worship on Mount Nemrut as a World Heritage Site. The tomb of the legendary ruler Antiochos is today considered the epitome of those riddles of the past that remain unsolved to this day. Dozens of stone sculptures up to nine meters high standing on the two terraces beneath the man-made mountain summit are considered by many to be the Near East's answer to the stone idols of Easter Island. These are the last witnesses to the Commagenic kingdom, an enigmatic ruling dynasty that emerged from the empires of Alexander the Great and the Persian King Dareios I and resisted the might and territorial claims of the Roman Caesars for generations.

What immortal messages and cultural objects did the regent take with him into his crypt on the mountain top? To this day we don't know the answer to that question because of an ancient stroke of genius: the bewildering manner in which the tomb was sealed has successfully withstood grave robbers, religious scholars and archeologists for more than 2000 years. At some point, researchers will probably crack this puzzle too and humanity will be one legend poorer - that of a peaceful bridge between east and west.