Explore Adıyaman: from Ancient Wonders to Natural Beauty

Arsemeia: Walk Through the Echoes of Antiquity in Adıyaman, Türkiye!

The information about the ancient city of Arsameia, discovered in 1951, was obtained after examining the inscription located in the center of the city. The inscription states that the founder of Arsameia was Arsemes, an ancestor on the paternal side of Antiochus I, who lived in the first half of the 3rd century. However, most of the remains that have survived to the present were built by Antiochus I, who gave the city the name "Hierothesion" (sacred site). Hierothesion means the sacred tomb of a member of the royal family. The Arsameia Archaeological Site was established on steep cliffs, and the structures found here can be reached by a path used as a ceremonial road. Along this road, there are relief steles, a monumental rock-cut tomb chamber, the largest Greek inscription in Anatolia, a tunnel structure, and architectural remains at the top. These structures are referred to as "Ktismata" in the inscription. The inscription in the center of the remains consists of 256 lines spread over 5 columns. Beneath the inscription, there is a sacred corridor that can be reached by a staircase 158 meters long. Right next to the inscription, there is a stele depicting the scene of King Antiochus I of Commagene shaking hands with the god Heracles. It is believed that the dexiosis (handshake) reliefs placed at intervals along the "Sacred Road," the procession route, were positioned to prepare participants for the sacred atmosphere of the ceremony. In each of the flat reliefs carved into limestone, King Antiochus I is depicted shaking hands with a god. From these reliefs, it is understood that King Antiochus I saw himself as being on the same level as the gods and defined himself as the God-King.