Arsameia Archaeological Site

Address: Arsameia (on Nymphaios), near Kahta / Adıyaman Province, Turkey

Arsameia is an archaeological site in southeastern Turkey that served as an important royal sanctuary of the Kingdom of Commagene. The site contains rock-cut reliefs, carved inscriptions, and the remains of royal funerary monuments dating principally to the 1st century BC.

The principal highlights are large rock reliefs and carved façades on the river valley cliff, an inscription stairway listing royal dedications, and the remains of a hierothesion used as a dynastic memorial. The carved reliefs and inscriptions are the main reasons scholars and visitors come, as they illustrate the syncretic Hellenistic and Near Eastern royal ideology of Commagene.

The site was developed and embellished under King Antiochus I Theos in the 1st century BC and functioned as a dynastic sanctuary and visible statement of royal power. It later fell out of use and survives today as an archaeological monument with exposed carved reliefs and scattered architectural remains.

Arsameia sits on a rocky terrace above a river valley in Adıyaman Province, in the historic Commagene region of southeastern Turkey, and is accessed from nearby towns in the Kahta area.

• Dating: Most of the visible monuments date to the Hellenistic Commagene kingdom under Antiochus I (1st century BC), so look for inscriptions and relief panels from that period.

What to See#

• Rock reliefs: A riverside sanctuary complex carved into the rock face that includes royal rock reliefs and carved scenes commissioned by Antiochus I in the 1st century BC.
• Royal funerary monument: The hierothesion or royal funerary monument attributed to the commagenian royal house, containing carved reliefs and architectural remains from the Hellenistic period.
• Inscription stairway: An inscription stairway and associated carved inscriptions in Greek and local scripts that record dedications and royal titles dating to the 1st century BC.

Arsameia is about 12 km south of Kahta (Adıyaman Province). From Kahta, hire a taxi or drive southeast on provincial roads toward the Nemrut/Arsameia turnoff; parking is at the trailhead and the carved reliefs require a 15-25 minute uphill walk on an uneven path.

• Wear sturdy shoes and bring water - the site is an exposed river cliff with little shade.
• Start early to avoid mid-day heat and to have the pictorial reliefs on the cliff better lit for photos.
• Look for the engraved Greek inscriptions near the main relief - a rare surviving record of local dynastic propaganda.