Tuluyhan Uğurlu played on 6^th of September 2003, at the peak of Mesopotamia, the tumulus of Mount Nemrut for the peace and brotherhood of the world. Uğurlu’s piano was brought up the mountain with extreme difficulties. This concert of Tuluyhan Uğurlu had one purpose that is to emphasize the brotherhood of the East and the West and to give a reactionary reply to the struggles of belief still continuing in the 21^st century, with a considerable 2000 years old message.     

MOUNT NEMRUT AND THE KINGDOM OF COMMAGENE

Almost 2000 years ago a kingdom reigned at a very outstanding location of the Anatolia chose the Mount Nemrut as the holiest place. The independence of the kingdom named Commagene was proclaimed by making formidable wars, after living under the sovereignty of Assyria for a long period of time. The borders of Commagene extended from Malatya and Adıyaman to the legendary city Zeugma.   

The Commagene kingdom was absorbed into the Roman provinces and over the centuries and long after it was forgotten by the rest of the world. The tale of the discovery has started by the German engineer Karl Sester, when he first saw the colossal statues at the peak of Mount Nemrut during the Ottoman-German joined construction of Anatolia-Baghdad railroad. When he wrote to the Prussian Royal Academy of Science in Berlin, Professor Otto Puchstein arrived and the Commagene civilization came to light by the scientific researches and excavations.

The Commagene kingdom was situated in a geographical area which was located at the crossroad of the various roads in Taurus Mountains and north of Syria, Hatay, Pınarbaşı, Northern Taurus Mountains and at the east the provinces of Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep which were surrounded with Euphrates River. The Commagene kingdom was established in the 1^st Century BC and maintained its existence till 72 AD in this region.  

Mithradates 1 was the Greatest King of the Commagene kingdom. What made him so important were his great targets. His purpose was to unite the religion of Westerners, namely of Greeks with the religion of Eastern Persians. Thus, he would create a new world religion and make Mount Nemrut to be the center of such religion and would cause this new religion to spread across all over the world.       

Antiochus the son of King Mithradates received an education from his family which was a combination of Greek and Persian Cultures. His mother Queen Laodike was descended from Alexander the Great, and his father was Darius the First who was called as “king of kings” by the Persians. When he was quite young his father caused him to marry with Isias Philostorgos who was a Seleukos princess. This marriage was planned and arranged with political purposes and it had little to do with love.  

Mithradates continued to pay regard to his son after he abdicated his throne to him. They contemplated the sanctuary in Mount Nemrut together. This sanctuary was supposed to be the center of the treaty with gods of which the foundations were laid by Mithradates. Antiochus professed a deep esteem for his father; however he loved his mother above all. In many inscriptions he caused himself to be registered as “the person who loves his mother”.  He gave his mother the name of Thea which means goddess.       

He immortalized himself together with his mother among the statues of gods of Mount Nemrut. He placed his statue at the left side of the God Zeus as the King of Commagene and his mother’s statue at the right side of the God Zeus as Thea, the Mother of Commagene.  

ART IN COMMAGENE

Commagene had an art tradition which was completely authentic to itself.  Such tradition was a unique synthesis of Greek and Persian arts. Antiochus supported art. He gathered together artists and scholars in his council. Such artists and scholars were called as “Philoi” which meant “friends of king”.     

 During the reign of King Antiochus art gained a style which is more naturalistic and less stylized (compatible with tradition) whereas it was mainly influenced by eastern culture during the period of King Mithradates. Antiochus preferred Greek culture and named himself as the “Friend of Greeks and Romans”.  The statues at the peak of the mountain constitute an evidence for the ultimate glory of Commagene Art. At that point east and west merges with an absolute and complete harmony.       

Head of Antiochus at the West Terrace is a gorgeous example of which any details that may deform the natural form of the statue were avoided. There is not an ornate beard, piece of Jewellery or other adornments in the statue. This elegant and dynamic statue impresses and creates enthusiasm people with its eternal beauty.     

THE ROMAN WARS 

Romans started to capture the kingdoms of Asia Minor one by one such as Bythinia, Pisidia, Galatia and Capadoccia after they took their first steps in Anatolia. They placed Bythinia and Pisidia under their sovereignty circa 80 BC after they captured Pergamum. By the same time Parthians reached to the borders of Commagene.  

In 69 BC Samosata, the capital of Commagene was besieged. Nevertheless, an unexpected thing that was never thought before happened. Roman soldiers were being bombed by some substance that they have never seen before. Roman historian Plinius wrote as “a soldier which was hit by that substance was burning together with his weapon”. It appears that, fear caused by this secret weapon which was not known by anyone other than Commagene was tremendous.     

Romans could not capture Samosata. Roman army retreated back. However, the situation remained to continue its tension for Commagene in consequence of the fact that Commagene was squeezed between two powerful enemies; on one side there were Romans who were colonialist and war lovers, on the other side the powerful realm of Parthians. .In 64 BC, the Romans continued to their invasion. By this time Romans placed all the kingdoms of Asia Minor under their sovereignty other than Commagene Kingdom.       

Strategical position of Commagene was bearing crucial importance in the plans of Romans for extending towards east. Romans had to invade Commagene Kingdom, or otherwise they had to give up their expansion policy. Antiochus was aware of the fact that he should strengthen his relation with Parthians. By this purpose he gave his daughter Laodike to Parthian King to be his wife. A male baby was born as a result of this marriage. They named him as Pakoros. He was the favorite of his father and only successor of his throne.      

Rome was also quite disorganized and had some troubles while the wars in Asia Minor were taking place. After the assassination of Caesar, Roman Empire was divided into two parts. Marcus Antonius received the east and Octavianus received the west. In 38 BC Marcus Antonius defeated the Parthian Army and killed the crown prince Pakoros.  His mother Laodike and his father, the King of Parthians felt great sorrow. Antiochus commiserated the grief of his daughter and his son-in law and wanted to help them.           

Antiochus took the exiles that escaped from the war and took refugee in Commagene and refused to surrender them to Marcus Antonius. Antiochus offered 1000 talens which was equivalent to 25 thousand tons of silver in contrast for exiles since he wanted to avoid war. Markus Antonius who coveted all the gold and silver properties of Commagene which was well known with its richness demanded the entire riches of Commagene. It was not an offer to be accepted by Antiochus.     

Marcus Antonius perceived such response by very small kingdom as a great insult and ordered his army to besiege Commagene promptly. However, surrounding of Samosata was not developing as planned on the contrary of the expectations. Marcus Antonius took the command of his army personally, and King Herod of Juda was on his side. He was so confident that the victory was very soon. But the events did not run as expected and although they were very limited in number Commagene warriors of whom and their horses were girt with armors flanged back the Roman army.      

However, health of Antiochus 1 was impaired as a result of such distressed years. He died a short time after the war and was buried in the tumulus at the peak of Mount Nemrud next to his father. Mithradates the First succeeded him; however he could not be an emperor who had the mental acuteness of his father. Commagene would subject to fade away in the course of time.

By the termination of Commagene period, mount Nemrut began its long sleep which it can be only startled by the mountain winds and visits of the shepherds that lost their ways. Ever since, until the gigantic statues were discovered in the last period of Ottoman Empire. .  

TO EXPERIENCE EAST AND WEST TOGETHER

Antiochus I had an idealistic aim as his father Mithradates I, to unite the Eastern and Western cultures. He did his best to reach this aim. The monumental tomb and sanctuary which was started to be constructed at an altitude of 2150 meters on top of Mount Nemrut, could not be completed before he died. His son King Antiochus I, did not carry out the construction and the works were left uncompleted after his death. For almost two thousand years, only the wailing of the wind disturbed the colossal statues erected at the east and west terraces of the sanctuary. His opinions and aims of culminating in a new religion which would radiate all over the world from Mount Nemrut were forgotten after his death. Nonetheless, the gigantic statues caused him to be remarkable for centuries.

A monumental tomb or burial sanctuary for the royal women apart from the statues of gods and kings was also built. It consists of a tumulus surrounded on three sides by terraces with monumental statues.   

The builder of the sanctuary, King Antiochus had three terraces constructed on the mountain. The sequences of the statues erected on these sacred terraces are the same. Each of the statues are symbolizing the East and West gods therefore they are represented by two different names. Persian and Greek gods facing to east and west also symbolizes King Antiochus’s aim of uniting these two cultures. 

 The 200 line testament of Antiochus was carved on the backs of the thrones. According to the inscriptions, he appointed the successor kings to decorate the sanctuary, honors the ones who came for worshipping and curses the ill-willed visitors. Antiochus ordered the priests to entertain the visitors of the sanctuary by offering the best wines, and even the musicians were assigned to make the ceremonies joyful. However, despite Antiochus’s fastidiousness, the things written in his testament were not obeyed.   

According to the inscriptions King Antiochus’s words can be summarized as:

 “When I had taken over the throne from my ancestors, I made my kingdom as the common land of all the Gods as a result of my religious beliefs” 

"All the future generations of humans who will possess this land in the cause of the endless times, are asked to follow the holy law."

”Anyone who spoils or gives harm to the divine validity of this order, or who attempts to alter the real purport, let, not only himself but all ancestors and successors, be the object of my ancestors and gods fury.”      

Click here for the entire testament>>>

 http://www.nemrud.nl/tr/