Nemrut’s ancient statues undergo nanolime treatment for preservation

ADIYAMAN

Conservation work continues at Nemrut Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeastern Türkiye, where experts are using nanotechnology to protect its monumental ancient statues from further deterioration.

The restoration and conservation program, launched in 2022 to preserve the site’s colossal sculptures for future generations, focuses in part on sealing fine cracks in the stone with nanolime. The material is injected into cracks to prevent water from penetrating the sculptures and accelerating their deterioration.

Ayşe Ebru Çorbacı, director of the Gaziantep Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory, said teams are currently working on the head of Kommagene Tyche and the statue of Zeus Oromandes on the site’s western terrace.

The nanolime treatment is designed to fill microscopic cracks and strengthen vulnerable sections of the sculptures, she said, noting that earlier conservation work had produced positive results.

“2022 works produced results,” Çorbacı said, adding that the next phase began in 2025. During that campaign, conservation teams reinforced the head of King Antiochos and eagle heads on both the eastern and western terraces. This year, work has shifted to the heads of Kommagene Tyche and Zeus.

The monumental statues are part of the sanctuary built by the Kingdom of Commagene in the first century B.C. at the summit of Nemrut Mountain. The site, located at an altitude of about 2,150 meters, is known for its enormous stone figures representing deities and rulers, as well as its monumental eastern and western terraces.

Mehmet Alkan, director of the Adıyaman Museum, said the conservation project was essential to ensuring that the sculptures, which have survived for more than 2,000 years, remain intact for future generations.

“Restoration and conservation works at Nemrut Mountain resumed in 2026 with the support of the Culture and Tourism Ministry,” Alkan said, adding that the work is being carried out by specialists from the Gaziantep Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory.

The long-term effort reflects the challenges of preserving Nemrut’s sculptures in an exposed mountain environment, where water infiltration and weathering can gradually weaken the ancient stone. The conservation teams are therefore seeking to reinforce the statues while minimizing intervention and preserving their historic fabric.