UNESCO Temporary Heritage Historical Yesemek Quarry and Open Air Sculpture Workshop

History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore The Historical Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop, which operated uninterruptedly between the 14th and 7th centuries BC during the Hittite Empire and the Late Hittite Sam'al Kingdom, is the largest open-air sculpture factory in the Near East and the Mediterranean basin in ancient times. The huge quarry, which was established during the reign of Hittite Emperor Suppiluliuma I, contains more than 300 sphinxes, lion statues, mountain god figures, chariot reliefs and architectural blocks carved from purplish-gray basalt rocks. The sculpting stages, block extraction techniques and quarrying technology of the gigantic statues, which were cut from the rocks in draft form by masters, journeymen and apprentices in the sculpture school, have survived to the present day, like a living industrial museum frozen in time. Yesemek, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012, is the most extraordinary open-air gallery of ancient sculpture in the world. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features It is located on the eastern foothills of the Amanos Mountains, on a slope at an altitude of 450 meters overlooking the Tahtaköprü Dam Lake valley. Hundreds of basalt sculptures lined up along the slope among oak trees and wildflowers create an impressive topography where nature and history are intertwined. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees